Ukrainian Fighter Yaroslav Amosov Rescues Bellator World Championship Belt From The Rubble Of His Russian-bombed Home

Yaroslav Amosov (Instagram @s-amoskin)

JAKARTA - Yaroslav Amosov is one of many elite athletes who joined the Ukrainian army to defend their country from the Russian invasion.

Aged 28, Amosov is one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts (MMA). After a record 26 wins and no losses, he is the current Bellator welterweight world championship belt holder.

Amosov achieved this much-coveted belt on June 11, 2021, when he defeated Brazilian Douglas Lima by unanimous decision.

The Ukrainian man took the belt to his home in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, and instructed his mother to put it in a safe place when Russia announced the launch of their operation in Ukraine.

Quoted from Marca, Tuesday, his house was bombed during the war, but Amosov managed to go there and retrieve his belt.

"A belt with a great history", he wrote.

"Now I definitely won't give it away. My mother hid it well and survived the bombing."

The welterweight champion refuses to fight Michael Page on May 13 in London because he is defending his country on the battlefield and Bellator respects his decision. This means he will keep his belt.

"Like the rest of the world, we are shocked by the tragic events in Ukraine and the thoughts of everyone at Bellator MMA are with Yaroslav and all Ukrainians during this time", Bellator MMA president Scott Coker said in a statement.