Dejan Zavec (born 13 March 1976), best known as Jan Zaveck, is a Slovenian former professional boxer and a former politician who competed from 2003 to 2015. He held the IBF welterweight title from 2009 to 2011, and challenged once for the WBA super-welterweight title in 2015. Zaveck was the first Slovenian boxer to have held a world title, and was named Slovenian Sportsperson of the Year in 2010. From May 2022 to September 2023, he served as a member of the Slovenian National Assembly.

Early life Dejan Zavec was born in Trdobojci, Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. He spent his youth in Gabrnik in the Slovene Hills () and in Ptuj. He developed an interest in boxing at an early age. As a teenager, he joined the boxing club in Maribor. Later he resided in Gabrnik and in the city of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

In 2006, he graduated from the Faculty for Physical Education in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Professional career Early career Zavec started boxing at the age of 16. As an amateur, he fought in the 1995, 1997 and 1999 World championships.

Zavec turned professional in 2003, winning his first 26 fights. Early in his career, Zavec was briefly signed with Don King, but returned to Europe after the legendary promoter was unable to secure his bouts. Resuming his career in Germany with SES Boxing, Zavec earned a number of regional titles, including the WBO and IBF Inter-Continental and German (BDB) Welterweight Titles.

In 2008, Zavec traveled to Poland to meet Rafal Jackiewicz for the EBU European Welterweight Title. After twelve rounds, a controversial split decision was announced in the Polish fighter's favor. The bout was Zavec's first professional loss.

IBF welterweight champion On December 11, 2009, Zavec won the IBF welterweight title against South African Isaac Hlatshwayo in a stunning upset via knockout. With this victory, Zavec became Slovenia's first-ever boxing world champion.

Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the first time against Rodolfo Martínez in Ljubljana, performing at the Tivoli Hall. He won by technical knockout in the twelfth round when the referee stopped the fight.

On September 4, 2010, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the second time against mandatory challenger Rafał Jackiewicz at the Stožice Arena in Ljubljana. In defeating Jackiewicz, Zavec avenged what was his sole career loss at the time.

Zavec was expected to face the winner of Randall Bailey-Said Ouali IBF title-eliminator that took place December 10, 2010, but the bout was ruled a no-contest. With no mandatory challenger established, Zavec opted for an optional defense in Ljubljana. On February 18, 2011, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the third time against #15-ranked Paul Delgado, performing again at the Stožice Arena, in front of 12,000 spectators. He won with a technical knockout in the fifth round, when the referee stopped the fight.

After discussions to fight Paulie Malignaggi on the Saul Alvarez-Ryan Rhodes undercard fell through, Zavec traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to face former WBC light-welterweight champion Andre Berto on HBO on September 3, 2011. Despite being a 4-to-1 underdog coming into the fight, Zavec proved competitive; trading clean punches with Berto and earning praise from HBO's Roy Jones Jr. In the fifth round, a number of cuts opened on Zavec's face, which resulted in Zavec's corner waiving the fight off before the sixth round. The loss ended Zavec's reign as IBF welterweight champion.

Later career After losing the IBF title, Zavec fought on for three more years; going the distance with future unified welterweight world champion Keith Thurman and challenging Erislandy Lara for the WBA and IBO Super Welterweight Titles in a TKO loss.

Zavec announced his retirement from boxing on March 13, 2016, at a press conference attended by Slovene President Borut Pahor.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes40Loss Erislandy LaraTKO3 (12), 25 Nov 2015 39Win35–3 Sasha YengoyanUD1211 Apr 2015 38Win34–3 Ferenc HafnerTKO7 (12)14 Oct 2014 37Win33–3 Sebastien AllaisUD819 Nov 2013 36Loss32–3 Keith ThurmanUD129 Mar 2013 35Win32–2 Bethuel UshonaUD1224 Mar 2012 34Loss31–2 Andre Berto5 (12), 3 Sep 2011 33Win31–1 Paul DelgadoKO5 (12)18 Feb 2011 32Win30–1 Rafał JackiewiczMD124 Sep 2010 31Win29–1 Rodolfo Ezequiel MartinezTKO12 (12), 9 Apr 2010 30Win28–1 Isaac HlatshwayoTKO3 (12), 11 Dec 2009 29Win27–1 Jorge Daniel MirandaKO12 (12)19 Jun 2009 28Win26–1 Arek MalekUD615 May 2009 27Loss25–1 Rafał JackiewiczSD1229 Nov 2008 26Win25–0 Marco CattikasUD1215 Jun 2008 25Win24–0 Pietro d'AlessioTKO4 (8), 19 Jan 2008 24Win23–0 Albert StarikovUD1013 Oct 2007 2322–0 Jorge Daniel MirandaNC3 (12), 12 Jun 2007 22Win22–0 Nicolas GuissetUD1217 Feb 2007 21Win21–0 Andrey YeskinTKO10 (12), 23 May 2006 20Win20–0 Joel Mayo6 (12), 25 Mar 2006 19Win19–0 Serge VigneTKO5 (8), 29 Oct 2005 18Win18–0 Mikhail BoyarskikhTKO8 (12), 20 Sep 2005 17Win17–0 Joseph SovijusKO3 (6)18 Jun 2005 16Win16–0 Danilo AlcantaraTKO2 (6), 2 Feb 2005 15Win15–0 Martins Kukulis4 (6), 15 Jan 2005 14Win14–0 Jurijs Boreiko618 Sep 2004 13Win13–0 Arthur NowakTKO8 (10)17 Jul 2004 12Win12–0 Boubacar SidibeUD85 Jun 2004 11Win11–0 Viktor BaranovUD1217 Apr 2004 10Win10–0 Nikita Zaytsev821 Feb 2004 9Win9–0 Rozalin NasibulinTKO5 (8)29 Nov 2003 8Win8–0 Andrzej ButowiczUD617 Nov 2003 7Win7–0 Leonti VorontsukTKO2, 20 Sep 2003 6Win6–0 Kamel IkeneTKO2 (6), 5 Jul 2003 5Win5–0 Artur DrinajTKO214 Jun 2003 4Win4–0 Nikita ZaitsevTKO221 May 2003 3Win3–0 Patrik Hruska625 Apr 2003 2Win2–0 Nico Salzmann621 Mar 2003 1Win1–0 Zsolt Toth1 (4), 1 Mar 2003

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