"I come from a f***ing orphanage" - Andrei Mikhailovich looks back at road to title fight, says he isn't ready to inspire the youth

Andrei Mikhailovich recently looked back on his arduous journey from a tough upbringing to an upcoming unified title fight. 'Renegade' is set to challenge Janibek Alimkhanuly for his WBO and IBF middleweight titles. The highly anticipated showdown is scheduled for this Saturday at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas.

Mikhailovich faced a tumultuous start in life but has overcome incredible obstacles to become both a qualified engineer and a national champion within just two years. Born in Russia, the undefeated boxer and his twin brother, Nikolai Mikhailovich, were adopted from an orphanage at 18 months old and brought to New Zealand by Paula and Marcel Driessen.

During a recent interview with Stuff, Mikhailovich reflected on his early life and expressed profound appreciation for his transformation from humble beginnings:

"I come from a f**king orphanage in the middle of nowhere bro. Sometimes when I look at the story of my life it seems a little bit crazy but it’s tricky because your also looking at my life. For me to come from a forgotten children’s home to fight for the world title is a really fantastic story and it’s something that I’m really proud of."

After arriving in New Zealand, 'Renegade' faced significant identity struggles for a long time, which led him to resort to drugs and alcohol during his teenage years. Despite overcoming these challenges, Mikhailovich admitted that he doesn't see himself as someone to be viewed as an inspirational figure:

"I’m not here to up-rise the youth and be the the inspirational figurehead that New Zealand boxing needs or to be the advocate for Russian adoptees of New Zealand or anything like that. I think people also need to understand that this is a show business, I’m also a showman. I’m just here to do my job and be a fighter."

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What is the professional record of Andrei Mikhailovich?

Andrei Mikhailovich is fresh off a fifth-round TKO victory over Edisson Saltarin, retaining his IBF Pan-Pacific and WBO Global middleweight titles this past April. 'Renegade' initially claimed these then-vacant championships with an impressive third-round TKO win over Ernesto Espana in June 2022.

Mikhailovich currently boasts an undefeated professional record of 21-0, with 13 of those wins earned by knockout.