{"id":549295,"date":"2026-03-20T16:07:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/549295\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T16:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:07:15","slug":"nikita-ababiy-eyes-title-run-after-stalled-career-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/549295\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikita Ababiy Eyes Title Run After Stalled Career Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Q: How did you make your way into the boxing gym? How old were you when you had your first sanctioned bout?
A: I grew up in Brighton Beach, and boxing was just always around. My dad took me to the gym when I was a little kid because I had too much energy and needed some discipline. Once I put the gloves on, I never wanted to take them off. I had my first sanctioned fight when I was around 10 years old, and from that moment, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.<\/p>\n

Q: You had over 130 amateur fights and captured the New York Golden Gloves in the 152 lb. open division. You turned professional at 17 instead of fighting in the Olympics. Did you feel like you were better suited for professional boxing?
A: Yeah, definitely. The amateurs were great for experience, but my style was always more suited for the professional ranks. I like to sit down on my punches, go to the body, break guys down. In the amateurs, you can outpoint people and move around, but I always wanted to hurt guys and put on a show. Turning pro at 19 just felt like the right move for me.<\/p>\n

Q: As just a young kid, you were sparring with the likes of fellow Brooklynite and former middleweight champion Danny Jacobs. Any other notable names you\u2019ve shared the ring with while sparring or fought in the amateurs?
A: Sparring with Danny Jacobs was huge for me early on. That\u2019s a world champion and a great dude who gave me some serious work. I\u2019ve also shared rounds with a lot of top guys coming up through New York gyms, pros, and amateurs. When you\u2019re in the Brooklyn gym scene, you\u2019re always around killers, so every sparring session feels like a real fight.<\/p>\n

Q: Brooklyn amateur standouts you fought alongside \u2014 like WBC featherweight champion Bruce \u201cShu Shu\u201d Carrington and IBF super lightweight champ Richardson Hitchins \u2014 are grabbing headlines nowadays. How frustrating has it been sitting on the sidelines while you watch your neighbors grab title belts?
A: Look, of course, you want to be in that spotlight too. Those are my guys, and I\u2019m proud of them, but at the same time, I know I belong right there with them. Boxing is a crazy business, and sometimes things outside the ring slow you down. But trust me, the hunger only gets stronger watching everybody else shine. My time is coming.<\/p>\n

Q: For those who haven\u2019t seen you fight, who would you compare or liken your style to from any past or present boxers?
A: I think I bring a little old-school flavor. I love body punching like the greats used to do. Some people say I remind them of Roy Jones Jr. with the way I attack the body, and I\u2019ll take that as a big compliment. But honestly, I\u2019m just trying to create my own style \u2014 that \u201cWhite Chocolate\u201d style.<\/p>\n

Q: You seem to have a genuine love for the sport of boxing despite boxing your own shadow for over two decades. Would \u201cNo Boxing, No Life\u201d be an accurate description of how you feel about the sport?
A: That\u2019s exactly how I feel. Boxing gave me everything \u2014 discipline, purpose, and a way to express myself. When I\u2019m not training, I\u2019m thinking about training. When I\u2019m not fighting, I\u2019m thinking about fighting. For me, it\u2019s not just a sport, it\u2019s a lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Q: Have you ever worked a regular job, or has boxing been your only occupation?
A: Boxing has always been my main focus. Since I was a kid, it\u2019s been gym, school, gym again. When you start fighting young and chasing big dreams, you structure your whole life around it. I\u2019ve always treated it like a full-time job.<\/p>\n

Q: What do you do with your time outside the ring?
A: I like to keep things simple. Spend time with family, hang out with friends, maybe watch fights, and study the game. I\u2019m big on recovery too \u2014 stretching, sauna, things like that. And of course, I like being around the ocean when I\u2019m down in Florida.<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s in heavy rotation on your music playlist right now when you train in the gym?
A: It\u2019s a mix. I\u2019d say it\u2019s mostly hip-hop and house music.<\/p>\n

Q: You are leaving snowy Brooklyn for the sunny confines of South Florida to train at BOXR Gym, where light heavyweight champion David Benavidez will be training for his fight against Zurdo Ramirez. How do you like life in the 305?
A: I\u2019m loving it. The weather is amazing, the vibe is different, and there are a lot of serious fighters down there. Being around guys like David Benavidez and other hungry champions at BOXR Gym pushes you to another level. It\u2019s all about leveling up.<\/p>\n

Q: A video recently surfaced of you dropping a hard-fought decision to a very good Russian fighter named Yuri Osipov. I initially thought it was a professional bout because there was no headgear, but it was actually a five-round exhibition. What happened that night, and what did you learn from that fight?
A: This fight remains one of the most challenging experiences of my career. I didn\u2019t have to take it, since it was only an exhibition match, but I agreed to it under difficult circumstances. I arrived in Russia four days before the fight on short notice and became seriously ill. Even my coach, Andre Rozier, who traveled with me, passed out in front of everyone during the weigh-ins due to the same stressful conditions.<\/p>\n

Because of my illness and the weight cut required to make the fight, I couldn\u2019t hydrate properly, take medication, or maintain adequate nutrition. Despite my team advising me to withdraw, I chose to compete because of the financial incentive. Looking back, that decision was unwise.<\/p>\n

Although the match doesn\u2019t count on my professional record, it was a valuable learning experience. If I ever take an exhibition again, I\u2019ll make sure I\u2019m properly prepared and put my health first.<\/p>\n

Q: Recently, you started training at BOXR Gym with legendary New York trainer Milton LaCroix. Any new wrinkles to your game that you\u2019ve been working on with Milton?
A: Milton is a mastermind. We\u2019ve been working on tightening everything up \u2014 defense, angles, setting up my body shots even better. The power has always been there, but now it\u2019s about being smarter and more complete in the ring.<\/p>\n

Q: Nowadays, it seems that a lot of fighters are content with engaging in a snoozefest to get a safe victory and a paycheck, losing sight of the fact that this is an entertainment business. When you fight, it seems that being an entertainer is part of the \u201cWhite Chocolate\u201d experience. How important is it for you to put on a show for the fans rather than get an easy W?
A: It\u2019s huge. Fans spend their hard-earned money to watch us fight. They deserve excitement. I want people on the edge of their seats every time I step in the ring. Knockouts and body shots \u2014 that\u2019s what boxing is about. When you watch White Chocolate, you know you\u2019re getting a show.<\/p>\n

Q: You have a big following among the Russian fans in Brighton Beach. What does it mean to you to represent your hometown when you step in the ring?
A: It means everything. Brighton Beach raised me. That community supported me from the beginning. When I fight, I feel like I\u2019m carrying all of Brooklyn and all those fans with me. That pride pushes me to perform at my best.<\/p>\n

Q: Even though you are migrating south to train in Florida, Brooklyn is where your heart is. Anything you want to say to Brooklyn fans \u2014 or anyone in particular you want to call out to throw hands with?
A: Brooklyn, I appreciate all the love. Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m working, and I\u2019m coming back stronger than ever. And to anybody in the middleweight division who thinks they\u2019re safe\u2026 keep my name in mind. White Chocolate is coming, and when I get my shot, I\u2019m taking the belt back to Brooklyn!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Q: How did you make your way into the boxing gym? How old were you when you had…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":549296,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,48,82],"class_list":["post-549295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}