Artyom Malykhin said Tuesday that he struggled with depression in the weeks leading up to his loss to Kane, telling Telecom Asia Sport that "the first warning sign was that I stopped sleeping. I ignored the other signs. At home, I was unhappy. I shut down, stopped answering calls. After the loss, I felt nothing." The 27 September interview is one of the most candid mental-health disclosures from a high-profile boxer in recent years and comes amid renewed debate over how combat sports handle psychological as well as physical risks.

Malykhin, a fighter whose climbing ranking and marketability have been tied closely to recent title runs, declined in the interview to provide detailed medical records or a formal diagnosis, but his description follows patterns flagged by medical researchers: sleep disruption, social withdrawal and emotional numbness are common symptoms associated with depressive disorders. The World Health Organization estimates approximately 280 million people live with depression worldwide; academic studies of elite athletes suggest rates of depressive symptoms can range from roughly 20 to 35 percent depending on the sport and measurement method.

Boxing operates with a patchwork of regulatory regimes and promoter-led oversight, and critics say the sport has lagged behind team leagues in formal mental-health support. Unlike major team sports, where clubs often employ psychologists and structured wellness programs, many professional fighters operate as independent contractors with episodic training camps and variable access to medical care. That arrangement creates financial and logistical obstacles to early intervention: paydays are irregular, medical leave can mean lost income, and promoters and broadcasters have limited incentives to fund long-term care.

Economic stakes are nontrivial. A leading fighter's performance affects ticket sales, pay-per-view revenues and sponsorships worth millions. If mental-health crises lead to withdrawals or subpar showings, promoters and insurers face direct costs. Insurers are already adjusting underwriting in response to broader health risks, and a fine-grained understanding of psychological vulnerabilities could raise policy prices or prompt the inclusion of wellness clauses. Sponsors increasingly weigh reputational and ethical considerations, and high-profile disclosures can accelerate contractual scrutiny or, conversely, encourage brands to invest in athlete-support programs as part of corporate social responsibility strategies.

Public attention to athlete mental health has increased since 2020, when prominent athletes in other sports brought the issue to mainstream audiences, catalyzing new services and conversations about stigma. In boxing, where the immediate physical dangers are visible, Malykhin's account highlights an invisible risk with both human and market consequences. Medical experts say routine screening, access to licensed sports psychiatrists and paid recovery periods can reduce long-term costs by preventing exacerbations that lead to poor performance or career-ending episodes.

Promoters, commissions and athlete representatives now face pressure to respond. Some state and national athletic commissions have experimented with expanded medical checklists and voluntary counseling resources, but there is no unified standard for psychological readiness ahead of a bout. Malykhin's disclosure could prompt calls for clearer protocols, from mandatory pre-fight mental-health evaluations to contractual provisions guaranteeing recovery time and treatment coverage.

For his part, Malykhin framed his remarks as part confession and part warning. "I ignored the other signs," he said. "I want fighters and teams to take this seriously." Whether the sport's fragmented governance can translate that warning into concrete policy changes remains an open question with implications for athlete welfare and the economics of professional boxing.