Denys Berinchyk: “One Fight in London, Two Bareknuckle in Ukraine”

37-year-old former world lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) talked about his recovery after losing to Keyshawn Davis and his upcoming plans.

– Denys, you mentioned a possible K-1 (kickboxing) bout. Are you leaving boxing?

– Not exactly. That fight may happen — we are indeed in talks about a bareknuckle fight. But at the same time we’re waiting for the showdown between the Brit and the American (Sam Noakes vs Abdullah Mayson). In total we have three fights in mind I might do. Everything is open — we haven’t locked in anything 100%.

– Which fight seems most likely next?

– A lot depends on the financial terms. Whoever offers the best deal will get the fight.

– How is the recovery from the surgeries going?

– It takes time. As you can see, nothing is bothering me, I’m staying in shape, negotiating. Whether the fight happens or not isn’t fully in my hands. The Brit vs. American fight is expected late November for the WBO title. Then we’ll decide.

– So you won’t fight in 2025?

– I think potential boxing opponents won’t have enough time to recover — their fight is set for November 24 in Saudi Arabia. I’ll wait. Once the opponent is finalized, we’ll sit and agree on contract terms. I’d like things to move faster, but it’s not up to us.

– Do you have locations in mind for your next fights?

– Yes: one in London, and two bareknuckle fights — in Ukraine.

– K-1 rules allow kicks — do you worry about that?

– Not at all. I’m known as a boxer, but I’ve twice been Ukrainian champion in full-contact kickboxing. I’m not just an honored master in boxing — I’m also a master in kickboxing.