Ukraine’s Yaroslav Amosov has spent the last year fighting to defend his country. Now he’s stepping back into the Bellator cage to defend his title.
The undefeated Amosov will face old adversary Logan Storley, who captured the interim welterweight title while the Ukrainian was back in his native country, battling against the invading Russian forces.
Now Amosov is back in the competitive arena once again, but he’ll do so with a renewed sense of perspective after finding himself fighting for his, and his fellow compatriots’ lives.
“It’s been a very hard year for Ukraine and the people in the country,” Amosov told reporters during media day in Dublin.
“Now, my family, friends, team and coach say, ‘You must go defend your belt’. After this fight, I want to go back to Ukraine and see my family, my son and my wife.”
While Amosov’s immediate attention is fixed on turning back the challenge of interim champ Logan Storley, the Ukrainian said that he’s been fighting for real for something much more important than a championship belt.
“I want to play with my son because I’ve seen he’s getting bigger. I miss them a lot,” he said.
“It’s different now because I understand that I’m not just a sportsman. I train hard, but the number one is to save your family and your people.”
Amosov is undefeated at 26-0, but he’s been away from the cage since he captured the title from Douglas Lima at Bellator 260 in June 2021. It’s taken almost two years until he could put his title on the line in his first defense, but he said he’s ready to step in and represent his people in Dublin on Saturday night.
“I have a lot of experience and I’ve recovered,” he said.
“I miss the sport; I want to step back in the cage. I’m ready, many people support me and it gives me great energy.
“When I come to Dublin, I see a very beautiful city and very good people.”