Inserted in the war, Bellator champion 'forgets' belt and guarantees to only defend title after conflict ends

Y. Amosov took the Bellator belt to the front lines of the war in Ukraine (Photo: Instagram/Amosov)

Owner of the welterweight belt (up to 77kg) at Bellator, Ukrainian Yaroslav Amosov doesn't want anything to do with MMA until the war between his country and Russia is over. On the front line of the battle between nations, which began at the end of February, the athlete, who was part of his homeland's army, opened up about the nightmare experienced by the people involved in the confrontation.

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“Our enemies arrived in Ukraine with weapons and caused chaos. My friends and I decided to help defend our country. We joined the territorial defense of the city of Irpin. Russian soldiers bombed homes, killed civilians and raped women. They killed people in cars, people who just wanted to escape the territory they occupied. Many people sat in basements for more than a month. When we freed Irpin, they received a piece of bread and cried in gratitude. They sat without water and electricity in silence for fear of someone coming in and being shot,” Amosov said.URK Sport', in an excerpt translated by 'Combate'.

Undefeated in MMA and current holder of the welterweight throne at Bellator, Amosov is not thinking about defending his title. The athlete, who, before the war, had a confirmed commitment against Michael Page for May 13, ended up leaving the confrontation and giving way to Logan storley. The athletes will then fight for the interim belt and Yaroslav admitted he doesn't care about the scenario.

“They will fight for the interim title and that doesn’t matter to me. I'll wait for the war to end and defend my belt later. I hope that we can return to our homes and that there is peace in our land. The sun will shine, we will smile and everything will be fine,” she concluded.

A professional in MMA since 2012, Amosov has 26 appearances in the sport and has never suffered a negative result. In June 2021, the athlete surpassed former welterweight champion, Douglas Silva, and assumed the absolute top spot in the category. So far, the Ukrainian has not defended his belt.