Ukraine boxer Viktor Postol's 'family is in the middle of everything' at home, days away from his Vegas fight

• Ukraine boxer Viktor Postol returns to the ring Saturday.
• He said this week his "family is in the middle of everything" as Russia invaded the country.

LAS VEGAS — Ukraine boxer Viktor Postol's "family is in the middle of everything" at home, days away from his fight against highly-rated Gary Antuanne Russell at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Postol and Russell collide in a super featherweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds during the seven-bout Premier Boxing Champions event that Showtime will broadcast from 7 p.m. PT.

The fight week featured animated athletes at the final pre-fight press conference Insider attended Thursday and fighters eager to rehydrate and compete after Friday's weigh-in.

There is the main event with title shot ramifications between Chris Colbert and Hector Garcia and an IBF super flyweight championship between Jerwin Ancajas and Fernando Martinez.

But Postol's story hits different as Russia this week invaded his home country Ukraine.

Kyiv is besieged, as the defense ministry called on residents to "make Molotov cocktails" to fight Russians, who advance on the capital, as Insider recently reported.

"The situation in Ukraine has escalated a lot, and it's hard not to think about it," Postol told reporters this week.

"I'm working on focusing on the fight. My family is in the middle of everything, but they are safe, and that's what is most important."

Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza told Insider that "it's unimaginable" how distracting it must be for Postol.

"Rarely, in fights, is there a distraction of this magnitude where a home country and, more personally, where a family is at risk," Espinoza told us.

"And so as a father, as a husband, as a son, I'm sure his thoughts have to be on what's going on over there. It is human nature.

"But with a professional, like Postol who's been in with some of the best division, to the extent that you can compartmentalize that, he'll do that."

He added: "He's been in tough situations before, but I can't imagine one that's personally much tougher than this one."

Speaking to Boxing Scene, Postol called the news "upsetting" and "difficult" because "it's been escalating for a couple days. There's nothing good about it."

But Postol, whose nickname is 'Iceman,' is trying to live — for the next 24 hours at least — with "a cold heart."

He said: "I understand that if I go home now, today, it's not gonna change anything. I have my people in my home country that take care of my family. I know they're safe.

"I'm gonna do my job, and then I'm gonna go right back home after the fight to take care of them."

Postol's job Saturday is to fight one of the best guys in his division

Fighting Postol Saturday is Gary Antuanne Russell, who, at 25 years old, is 14 fights into his career — and has knocked out every one of those opponents.

Russell is a tough dude and on a fast track toward the highest highs of the super lightweight division.

But putting aside their job to compete against one another this weekend, Russell empathized with the position his opponent has been put in by Russia.

"I hope that with everything going on back home for Postol in Ukraine that it motivates him and makes him hungry to give the world a great fight on Saturday."

Russell praised what Postol has done in his combat sports career but, regardless, is aiming to swat him aside so he can continue his quest to become a boxing superstar.

"They're going to say that I'm truly a superstar after this fight," he said this week. "That's what I've been saying for a long time. I'm stamping it on Saturday night.

"I'm going to give a show like I've always done … to be the next rising superstar. That's part of our plan.

"I've believed it all along, and now that other people are starting to see it, we're getting that much closer to our goal. The plan is to keep the knockout streak going. Execution is always our goal."

Postol, who has esteemed coach Freddie Roach in his career, is unfazed.

On the veteran boxing trainer Roach, who has trained dozens of world champion boxers including Manny Pacquiao, Postol said: "He's always able to give me the right adjustments in training and during the fight.

"It helps with my confidence even more."

He added: "I feel young and strong. I believe in myself. I'm very confident that I will become world champion again. This fight is a step toward achieving that feat."