Biography

This fight was a test for me, when the entire boxing community looks at you more closely, evaluating what you are capable of.

A battle where your skills and endurance are tested. At such moments, you feel every eye and know that you have to show your worth. Prove that the ring belongs to you.

I won this battle.

I'd like to emphasize this fight because it was for a mandatory contender for the IBF belt. Sam was an experienced ex-world champion - smart, cunning, tough.

This battle required concentration and absolute respect for the opponent. The battle was full of sharp moments.

I was very happy to win.

This is one of the most important fights of my career. This fight was an elimination bout for the title of mandatory challenger for the IBF belt, and I knew that this moment would determine my future in boxing.

Turiano, known by his nickname "Rhino," was an extremely stubborn and persistent opponent. I realized that I was in for a real war.

The fight was tough and uncompromising - fist to fist. Turiano was not inferior in power,
nor in character. Every round was hard. I respect him as a fighter.

It was one of the hardest fights of my life, despite all my previous and even current experience. But, even through the pain and fatigue,
I was able to gather all my strength and energy and ended this epic fight with a knockout in the 12th round.

The moment I won was unforgettable - it was a real test.

I was ready to climb the Olympus further!

This fight was the first big fight for me in the legendary Madison Square Garden, which I had dreamed of since childhood.

Back then, I was naive and believed in the purity of the sport, that you could just come and take what everyone wanted. I knew I could win and was confident in my abilities. But in this fight, I saw that boxing is not only a sport, but also a business.

Andre Rozier, my trainer, was against this fight because he had to choose between standing in the corner of Jacobs, whom he had trained since childhood, or being with me.

He chose the opponent's corner, but anyone would have done the same.

We also had one manager, Keith Connolly, who also had a warm relationship with Danny. I was new to this boxing family, so I have no judgment on my team who are still with me today. It was my decision to take a big fight or continue to box with little-known fighters.

If I turned back the clock, I would tell myself not to save my energy for the "championship last rounds" but to give my best, not to let go of the initiative
not for a moment.

In such a battle, on foreign soil, with the circumstances in which I found myself I had to be two heads above the rest, because one could be cut off by the judges."

That fight ended in defeat, and it was the beginning of a real "hunger game" for me in boxing.

I also remember the fight with Jack Kulkay. At the level I was at then, I realized that there would be no more easy fights.

Jack turned out to be a "tough nut", he stepped onto the canvas with a clear goal of winning. He was versatile and agile.

During the fight, he inflicted several serious cuts on my head and face, which added to the tension of the fight. I respect him as a fighter.

I won this battle.

The fight with Gennady Golovkin was the most high-profile and discussed fight of the time.

Golovkin was a real star, a recognized champion, with a fan base of millions around the world. But I wasn't afraid of him.

I went into the ring not just to confront him, but to win.

I am convinced that I won that fight. Despite the controversial work of the referee, the blows to the back of the head and the controversial decision of the judges, I felt like a winner. I had neither sadness nor despair after the fight, because I knew I had given my best.
I was not ashamed - I fought a fair and clean fight. My conscience was clear.

However, the realities of the "hunger games" in professional boxing threw me back again, further from my dream. It was probably the saddest thing - not to hear the coveted "And the new...". I wanted my team to be happy for me, to celebrate the victory together.

I am consciously in boxing, and I understand the rules of this jungle, and I accept them, even when they are unfair.

Someday, when I finish my career, I will write my "truth" about this and many other battles. About what I cannot say out loud today.

However, even now I treat him with respect
Golovkin. Of all the people I stood in the ring with, he was the one with the most powerful punch. Each of his punches felt like a hammer blow. Thanks to him, I gained a lot of fans around the world and went to the famous big arena of Madison Square Garden in front of an audience of thousands.

The second the referee raises your hand or your opponent's hand, it immediately becomes history. This is part of the past.

On that day, I did not know that there was something much sadder in life than just a defeat in the ring!

The whole world remembered 2019 for the coronavirus epidemic, but for me it was a completely different time and a completely different story. Back then, I met Jermall Charlo in the ring, an opponent I had long sought to defeat.

Charlo has always been a controversial personality: he talked a lot, always avoiding serious opposition.

Even now, if he agreed to a rematch, I would accept it without hesitation. However, it was probably the most difficult period in my life.

A couple of weeks before the battle, I lost my father. He had been fighting cancer for two years, but the disease was stronger. The borders were closed due to the pandemic,
and I couldn't even say goodbye to him. My dad was the person who brought me to boxing, launched my career and supported me in everything.

The match took place in an empty hall, without spectators, a very strange feeling. That day I fought on willpower, skills and reflexes for the sake of my team.

I made many technical mistakes, my eyes were completely covered with bruises and I literally could not see anything. It was my real defeat. Probably the first one in my life that I perceived as real.

When you are a professional athlete, there is no place in your life for celebration or grief. There is only what you live and do. There is your team that you cannot let down. But sport does not forgive weaknesses.

I am not looking for excuses. At that moment, I needed to pull myself together, become stronger and do my job. But I couldn't, and I let my opponent beat me.

Before this fight, I had several options, but I chose Jaime Munguia. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but these are the kind of fights I like. Without me, this fight would not have been so spectacular, but without me, there would not have been the war that was in the ring.

From the very first round, the tension in the ring was incredible. It seemed like my brain was about to explode. I felt like I was fighting and winning, but the judges decided otherwise. Despite this, I was pleased that we gave the audience an unforgettable show.

I am very impressed by Mexican fans - they are very fair and create an incredible atmosphere. After all, everything that happens in the ring is done for the people who came to watch boxing.

For this match I received two awards for the best fight of the year. I like such rivals, such challenges. I would gladly accept a rematch, but I don't think Mungia's team would be interested in that. However, the fans would definitely appreciate it.

Another bright fight in my piggy bank. Unfortunately, I did not receive the main award again.

But what's left? To move on and look for new heights.

Throughout my professional career, I've constantly met with the best middleweight and super middleweight contenders, and I plan to continue to do so.

In 2020, I was recognized as #1 in the WBC rankings among middleweights, and in 2021 I will be ranked among the best middleweights in the world according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, BoxRec and The Ring magazine. I am honored to receive this award.

I am still on the way to my dream of becoming a world champion.

The most epic fight in my career was probably the fight with Christian Mbilli.

Nothing was supposed to be a big drama, but fate decided otherwise. Mbilli was supposed to be a "sweetie pie" for me. I studied him well and knew every move he would use against me.

Something happened that I could not have predicted. In the initial rounds, I got injured: I tore a tendon in my biceps.

I realized that my left arm was not working, I couldn't even raise it to defend myself. Those who know boxing understand how important the left hand is for a right-handed person.

I sat down in the corner and then my katman said: "Biceps is torn". He put ice on it and the gong for the next round was already ringing.

Many criticized my team for not stopping the fight. However, this is my team, and we are one. At this point, they read my condition and trust my experience. In Ukraine, we were taught to box even with one hand, so I had this skill and used it.

I started to adapt to fighting with one hand. I really wanted to and believed that I could knock Mbilli out even in this condition.

After the sixth round, I could see that he was tired, "sagging", and I was sorry that I couldn't use both hands. The outcome of the fight would have been completely different. It's a very strange feeling when your body doesn't belong to you, but your brain wants to win, continuing its work no matter what.

Mbilli allowed me to work with one hand, his punches were not dangerous for me, so I continued to box just by exhausting him by moving on my feet. My team.
I saw that too.

That's why I boxed until the end of the fight. Of course, I didn't expect to win, but then I did my best.