Olympic silver medalist Berinchyk will look to make up for lost time in an intriguing matchup with Sam Noakes on the Moses Itauma-Filip Hrgovic undercard at London's O2 Arena.

"He is a very strong and experienced fighter," Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) told The Ring.

"He recently fought for a world title but lost. Now he wants to come back and is fighting me ... I know what kind of opponent I'm facing, so take this seriously. I'm looking forward to meeting him after such a long break."

Despite not having fought in 18 months, Berinchyk is unbothered that he'll return in a big fight without the opportunity to shake off any ring rust.

"There is no time for a tune-up fight, and I don't see the point," he said. "So, we are going straight to a higher level."

Although the 38-year-old hasn't been active, he has kept a busy schedule.

"I focused on getting my health back after that fight [with Davis]," he explained. "I had shoulder surgery and spent a long-time doing rehabilitation while also doing a little surgery on my nose.

"During the fight, Keyshawn hit me with his shoulder and broke my nose. I found out just after the fight, when I had it checked upon my arrival home, so I began the treatment. It took quite a long time to recover in general after both surgeries, as I had to get back into normal shape before then starting to build myself up for boxing again."

"At the same time, I spent a lot of time with my family. I have a wife and four children, and recently our daughter Olivia was born in Spain. So, I was also busy with family and everyday things outside the sport."

Berinchyk also volunteers with the armed forces in Ukraine, having done so since their war with Russia began in 2022.

"We are in regular contact and I help with different small things they need, sometimes tyres or drones, sometimes money or other equipment," he said. "They let me know what they need and I do my best to help them. At the moment I'm focused on boxing and preparing for this fight, but am planning to go and see the guys soon."

The upcoming fight with Noakes is a crossroads fight for both, should they look to contend for world titles again.

While Berinchyk is at an advanced age for a professional, he believes victory is imperative but also feels he's got other options across combat sports.

"I have put a lot of work into getting ready for this fight, training since the beginning of 2026 and preparing for my return," he said. "I understand the stakes are very high: either win or it's the end of my professional boxing career.

"But I am also looking at other options. If I can't return to boxing, I could move into another direction...Bare-knuckle fighting, MMA or K-1… I would be happy to start a different fighting career, if that's what happens.

"Anyway, I am working hard to get myself ready for 100 percent. Get ready, Sam. It's going to be a big fight." Noakes (18-1, 16 KOs), The Ring's No. 7 lightweight, worked his way up through the ranks by winning British, Commonwealth and later European titles. The 29-year-old is a dangerous puncher as illustrated in stoppage wins over Lewis Sylvester (TKO 4) and Gianluca Ceglia (RTD 8).

However, he has also shown he can box when needed after outboxing Yvan Mendy and Ryan Walsh over the 12-round championship distance. The Maidstone puncher produced a valiant effort in defeat by Abdullah Mason when they met for the vacant WBO title on November 22.