Bellator 291: 3Arena; Dublin, Ireland
Every sports fan knows of something called rust. It’s usually what you have the first time back on the bike after a long time away. Well, Yaroslav Amosov was away from the cage for 624 days fighting to keep Vladimir Putin and Russia from storming through Ukraine. But in this case, the best stays the best.
Amosov, completely pieced up the interim welterweight champion Logan Storley from the opening to closing bell in his first title defense. And in the disciplined, high paced, relentless attack improved to 27-0 after getting the 50-45 unanimous decision win. The fact that Storley was beaten from pillar to post and never went down from the kicks, or combos shows how tough his chin is, and his level of intestinal fortitude.
The All-American wrestler never had a successful chance at bringing the action to the mat, never getting a takedown. And on top of that, after every stuffed attempt, he paid dearly by another combination flurry by the Ukrainian. The damage from the volume of eating over 250 shots opened a cut by Storley’s right eye as well as swelled up his lower legs.
Amosov does have a bit of another streak going too. In six of his last eight fights have gone to the scorecards. Including now the last three. But on the flip side he does have 13 first-round finishes and 19 overall. Which means one thing. He has a multitude of ways to beat you. It’s almost a shame that there won’t ever be a Bellator-UFC cross promotion to see truly who is the best.
The Best Stays The Best At 170 For Bellator
The emotional fighter post-fight wouldn’t call anyone out and said it’s up to Scott Coker. Now the rest of the top of the division does have to sort itself out, there could already be a path for what’s next for the 29-year old who plans to head back to be with his family, and possibly join the front lines again against Putin.
Ranked third in the division is one of Storley’s teammates in Jason Jackson. And in that case Amasov will be giving up not only size but a decent reach advantage as well. However, Jackson doesn’t have a finish in Bellator; going 6-1 on the scorecards. And he has yet to taste the pressure of a main event slot.
Jackson likes digging to the body, and with Amosov needing to come inside it could possibly lead to a shocking upset. Especially with Amosov closing in on Khabib Nurmagomedov 29-0. And the fact that he’s Russian would never play in lead up. Or would it?
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