Ustinov (36), who will fight David Tua in Hamilton on November 16, was in Dunedin yesterday to talk about his upcoming fight and his chances.
It had been scheduled for the end of August but was put back nearly three months after Tua injured a calf.
With his feet up, Ustinov decided to go home to Minsk, in Belarus, and just continue training.
Speaking through his interpreter, Katya Nosova, the big man said the disruption was just part of sport.
''I had to basically start training again and go through my preparation again. I had to fly back home and I went back to a cold climate,'' he said.
''But that is sport. It can be a bit of a letdown, but injuries happen. It could have been me in his position.
''I have been surprised now that I have seen him [Tua] again. He is looking very, very good. You can tell that he is quite serious about this fight by the look of his physical appearance.''
Ustinov said he had lost none of his drive to win the bout against Tua.
''It is not hard to find the motivation and make the adjustment in recovering from the disappointment of the fight being delayed.
''It is just another fight for me. Another step forward. Yes, I was upset but I'm still training hard, still going forward.''
He said the option of staying in New Zealand was available but he preferred to go home, back to familiar surroundings.
He estimated his fitness was at about 60% to 70% and the next week was critical for his preparation for the fight against the 40-year-old Tua.
Ustinov was still recovering from his 23-hour flight a week ago to get from Minsk back to New Zealand, and would start tapering for his fight about five days out from the event.
Tua had weaknesses, one of the most significant being his far shorter reach against the 2.02m Belarussian.
''But he [Tua] is quite fast and has a left hook which is a powerful punch ... he has not fought for a while but in a four-month period he has trained hard and had some good sparring sessions.''
Ustinov's camp has an issue with sparring partner Alex Leapei heading to Australia for another fight. The group was
waiting for someone else to come forward to train against the 136kg boxer.
Ustinov has a record of 27 wins in 28 fights, an impressive record after he switched to boxing, following a kickboxing career during which he won several K1 titles around the world.
Does he have a prediction for the bout against Tua?
''You can't predict anything. If you have a chance, then you want to make the most of the opportunity.''
