Interview with Nikita Mihhailovski
Courtesy of Vitaly Versterinen, freelancer. EAK brings to your attention the interview in full length.
Nikita Mihhailovski: I'm ready for anything and do not intend to give up!
He stands in K-1 category and Thai boxing. Age: 21, weight: 80 kg, height: 177 cm Champion of Estonia, 2nd place in Estonia Open, Fight Night K-1 Champion, Explosion K-1 Champion, winner of many professional championships.
How many years have you been training? For 7 years
Why did you decide to join a kickboxing class? I was having problems at school...
Do you remember your first training session? I do. Energetic music was playing, and I immediately liked the room and realized that I would be doing this for a long time. I knew it was my thing.
What is the most difficult for you? The most difficult is to work to the very end, when the coach says what you have to do, but you already lack the force. You have to squeeze further and try the last effort.
What exercises do you like most and least? I really like sparring in the ring most of all, but I loathe working with a punching bag as it's pretty monotonous.
You went to work out at the Por Pramuk sport club in Thailand. For many sportsmen, it's a dream, but a reality for you. Tell us about the features of training there? In Thailand, a large emphasis is put on physical fitness. They run more - approximately 16 km per day: 12 km in the morning and 4-6 km in the evening. They swim a lot across the river, perform multiple climbs on a bamboo pole, and a lot of exercises with a sports pad. They do much less sparring than we do. The break between the morning and evening workouts is only two or three hours.
I presume that your physical condition has changed after Thailand? Yes, that's for sure. I have become a lot tougher. I really liked the Thai cuisine and I had to drink a lot more water, but it had a positive impact on the result. A week after my arrival back home, I had a fight with a Lithuanian and I won in the first round.
How do you tune yourself to win? As soon as I and my coach learn about a fight, we immediately begin training. First of all, it is physical training, and a few days before the fight - psychological. Usually I am very calm when I enter the ring. I have never trained with a particular enemy on mind, but I have never intended to give up and, therefore, I am ready for anything.
Do you have any idols? Yeah! It is Buakaw from the Thai Por Pramuk club and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.
In what weight do you plan to perform and in which category do you like to fight?
For the next fight I want to lose a little weight up to 77 kg, because the opponent will be lighter than me, and later – up to 81 kg as this is my weight. I am very easy to "play" with weight and I do not stick to any particular diet, but I do exclude fast food from my diet. I like the K-1 than Thai boxing, because K-1 is more dynamics and there are less clinches.
How do your parents like your hobby? At present - pretty well, but it has not always been like that. At first, my mother was against it, but when she realized that I love it and I put a lot of passion and effort into the training, she began to support me, and sometimes even give an advice, though my mother does not go to see my fights, instead, my dad always comes to see me fighting.
What would you wish to those who just decide to take up boxing or kickboxing?
Be sure to come and try and work out certainly long enough to understand whether or not to come back, or to choose something else. Hasty conclusions are often wrong.
What would you say about the stereotype concerning injuries, bruises, cuts, etc.?
It all depends on the coach. If his is highly qualified, then none of those will occur. Usually everything is carried out calmly and carefully.
Why do you work out at EAK (Estonian Academy of Kickboxing)?
Previously, I worked out at another club, but there I was moved to the background, there was no progress and self-fulfilment. As soon as I came to EAK, the coach Dmitri Vorobiev saw potential in me and offered me to train and fight professionally.
Who would you like to meet in the ring with? First of all, with Alexander Sokolovskiy (Club GARANT) and Tadas Jonkus. I have already had a fight with Tadashi and I lost, but one can have revenge.