Yaroslav Amosov Says He’s Best Welterweight in World After Bellator 291 Win

You wouldn’t have known that Yaroslav Amosov had been away for more than a year and a half by watching his performance in the Bellator 291 headliner.

Amosov controlled all aspects of his rematch with Logan Storley on Saturday in Dublin, as he unified the welterweight belt with a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. It was a far more decisive victory than his first meeting with Storley — a split-decision win at Bellator 252 in November 2020. That’s a good reason for that, Amosov said.

“Before this fight, I said this fight was different. I have many kilograms that I cut for my first match with Logan,” Amosov said at the post-fight press conference. “Now I had a very good camp and recovery as well as different training. Every day I train hard and become better. I have the best team with me. He’s a very good fighter, and I knew this. All people who enter the cage are strong, so if you go in the cage, you’re a high-level fighter. It’s not a surprise to me, but I’m ready [for everything].”

Amosov is now 27-0 in his professional MMA career, with eight of those victories coming under the Bellator MMA banner. With wins over the likes of Storley (twice), Douglas Lima, Ed Ruth, Gerald Harris and Roberto Soldic, “Dynamo” has compiled an impressive resume. The dominant win over Storley, a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler, was arguably his best performance to date. He believes it’s enough to put him at the top of his weight class, regardless of promotion.

“Of course [I think I’m the best welterweight in the world]. I am here,” he said. “If a UFC champion wants to fight, come to Bellator. Scott Coker will give the contract, and we’ll make the fight.”

While that debate will likely continue for months to come, what’s undeniable is that Amosov’s return to the cage was the feel good story of the weekend. It was Amosov’s first fight since June 2021, as he went on hiatus to help defend his native Ukraine against Russian invasion. His victory was likely a welcome reprieve for people from the war-torn country.

“I feel very good because I waited for this for a long time,” Amosov said. “I train hard, and I feel a lot of motivation and responsibility. Now, I relax. I’ll relax after the fight, and I’m happy because I think I gave my country a good day. It’s the first time I’ve had big support in the cage. In America, I've had support, but not like today. Many Ukrainian flags, many Ukrainian people. My uncle, my friends; I see many people. It was a big support, and it gave me very good energy.”