UFC contender Tatiana Suarez has returned to action and to the women’s rankings after her victory over Montana De La Rosa at UFC Fight Night 220.
After a lengthy layoff due to multiple injuries, [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] has successfully returned to MMA.
At UFC Fight Night 220, Suarez (9-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) made her long-awaited return to action, defeating Montana De La Rosa by submission in the second round. It was her first fight since June 2019, where she left as a top 5 competitor in the strawweight division. Since her return bout was at flyweight, and she anticipates a return to the lighter weight class where she made her name, it’s too early to tell which division she will earn her ranking.
Her talent and resume cannot be completely ignored, therefore her triumphant return lands her on the women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
At Bellator 291, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] also returned to action to defend his welterweight title after being away since June 2021 due to fighting for his home country of Ukraine in the war against Russia. Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) unified the titles and his undefeated record by picking up a unanimous decision win over now-former interim champ Logan Storley, maintaining his No. 5 ranking.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
The longest active winning streak in MMA still belongs to Yaroslav Amosov after a dominant win to defend gold at Bellator 291.
Bellator returned to 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday with Bellator 291, and with 18 fights on the docket, it played out as one of the longest events in company history.
The card closed on a high note, however, when Ukraine welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) retuned to competition with a dominant unanimous decision win over Logan Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) to move to 2-0 in their head-to-head series.
Amosov is proving to be one of the best in the world at 170 pounds, and his flawless record is there to back up that notion. For more on the numbers behind his fight, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 291.
After a flawless performance in one of the biggest fights of his career, Yaroslav Amosov thinks he settled one thing Saturday in Dublin.
DUBLIN – After a flawless performance in one of the biggest fights of his career, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] thinks he settled one thing Saturday.
Amosov now thinks he’s the best welterweight in the world.
“Of course (I’m the best in the world),” Amosov said after he dominated Logan Storley at Bellator 291 in Dublin. “I am here. If a UFC champion wants to fight, come to Bellator. Scott Coker will give the contract, and we’ll make the fight.”
Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) beat Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) with a sweep of the scorecards to unify the welterweight title. Storley came in as the interim champ who won that belt while Amosov was fighting in a war against Russia in his home country of Ukraine.
Storley now has both his losses courtesy of Amosov. The first came in a split decision in November 2020. In the rematch, with the undisputed title on the line, Amosov proved to be improved.
“Before this fight, I said this fight was different,” Amosov said. “I have many (pounds) that I cut for my first match with Logan. (This fight), I had a very good camp and recover,y as well as different training. Every day, I trained hard and became better. I have the best team with me. He’s a very good fighter, and I knew this. It’s not a surprise to me, but I’m ready (for everything).”
Amosov ran his winning streak to 27, which is the longest active stretch in all of MMA. But that streak may not be what’s on Amosov’s mind.
The sad reality is he had to go to war to try to help freedom win for his country.
“I feel very good because I waited for this for a long time,” Amosov said. “I train hard training, and I feel a lot of motivation and responsibility. 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.
“Thank you for my country. Thank you for my army and the fans. It was for my country. Today, I think it is a very good day for my country to hold two gold belts.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
Check out the best photos from Yaroslav Amosov’s welterweight title unification win over Logan Storley at Bellator 291 at 3Arena in Dublin.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag]’s welterweight title unification win over [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] at Bellator 291 at 3Arena in Dublin. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)
Jerry Sisemore of Texas has been named to the Associated Press All-America football team, offense, for 1971. (AP Photo)
They say war changes a man and in the case of Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov, it might’ve made him a better fighter.
They say war changes a man. In the case of Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag], it might’ve made him a better fighter.
Amosov looked his best Saturday night at Bellator 291, where he dominated [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] for five rounds and cruised to a unanimous decision win to defend his 170-pound title for the first time. Amosov’s successful title defense came after he spent nearly 10 months defending Ukraine in the war against Russia, which invaded his country almost exactly one year ago.
After his impressive display, Amosov’s attention turned back to the ongoing struggle in his country.
“It was one year yesterday when crazy Putin started war in my country,” Amosov said on the mic inside Dublin’s 3Arena. “He wants to kill kids who are Ukrainian. I want to say thank you to Ukrainian military for the defense of my county. Thank you to everyone who helps my country.”
It had been 20 months since Amosov last competed in an MMA fight, when he won the title from then-champion Douglas Lima in June 2021. The question heading into the Storley fight – a rematch of a November 2020 split decision win for Amosov – was how he’d look physically after the long layoff and mentally considering all that he’s been through as a soldier of war.
Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) quelled any concerns right from the start, showing sharp hands and good movement. Early on he found success with both volume and damage as he consistently pelted Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) with three, four, and sometimes five-punch combinations, causing a cut to Storley’s right eye in the first round.
That continued to be the theme as the fight progressed, as well as Amosov stuffing all of Storley’s takedowns.
All in all, it was a triumphant return for an undefeated champion who put his career on hold for a greater purpose.
“Ukrainian people, I love you,” Amosov said. “I love all my people.”
Below are complete Bellator 291 results:
Yaroslav Amosov def. Logan Storley via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) – to defend welterweight title
Jeremy Kennedy def. Pedro Carvalho via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bryce Logan def. Peter Queally via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:32
The MMA community heaped praise on 27-0 champion Yaroslav Amosov after he dominated Logan Storley in his return from war at Bellator 291.
[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] returned from fighting a war in his native Ukraine on Saturday to successfully defend his welterweight title against [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] in the Bellator 291 headliner.
Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) got back in the cage for the first time since June 2011 and defeated interim champ Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) by lopsided unanimous decision in the main event rematch at 3Arena in Dublin.
After earning a split decision in their first meeting at Bellator 252 in November 2020, Amosov moved to 2-0 against Storley, and remains the only person to beat him in MMA competition.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Amosov’s victory over Storley at Bellator 291
In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) meets interim champ [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) in a title unification bout. The two fought in late 2020, when Amosov took a split decision. He won the title his next time out.
Amosov is slight favorite at -165 at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Storley is +130. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with Amosov, who has MMA’s longest active winning streak, at a big 9-2 clip.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) at featherweight. Kennedy nearly is a 3-1 favorite, and he’s a near-unanimous pick at 10-1 from our staff members.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-7-1 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) is just a -150 favorite at lightweight in front of his home fans against [autotag]Bryce Logan[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 0-4 BMMA), but Queally is one of our two unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.
[autotag]Janay Harding[/autotag] (6-6 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 5-5 BMMA) meet in a women’s featherweight fight, and each is hoping a win will lead to a title shot. Kavanagh is more than a 2-1 favorite on her home turf, and she has a near-unanimous edge in the picks at 10-1.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Ciaran Clarke[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on late-notice replacement and promotional newcomer [autotag]Leonardo Sinis[/autotag] (11-5-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at featherweight. Clarke is the biggest favorite on the main card at more than 4-1, and not surprisingly is our other unanimous pick.
In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Amosov (73 percent), Kennedy (80 percent), Queally (83 percent), Kavanagh (77 percent) and Clarke (90 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
Check out the final faceoff for the Bellator 291 main event welterweight title unification fight between Yaroslav Amosov and Logan Storley.
DUBLIN – [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] and [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] had their final pre-fight meeting at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their Bellator 291 main event title unification fight.
Welterweight champion Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) takes on interim champ Storley (14-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) for the belt. Storley won an interim title while Amosov, from Ukraine, was in the military fighting for his country after Russia’s invasion and act of war in 2022. The two fought in 2020, when Amosov handed Storley the only loss of his career so far – a split decision at Bellator 252.
Watch the video above to see the Bellator 291 ceremonial weigh-in faceoff between Amosov and Storley.
Bellator 291 takes place Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
The first Bellator international headliner of 2023 is official after Yaroslav Amosov and Logan Storley made weight Friday.
DUBLIN – The first Bellator international headliner of 2023 is official after [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] and [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] made weight Friday.
Ahead of Saturday’s Bellator 291, which takes place at 3Arena in Dublin with a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie, Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Storley (14-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Amosov, Bellator’s welterweight champion, is returning for his first fight since June 2021 after he served for months in his native Ukraine’s military after Russia’s invasion in 2022. He weighed in at 169.4 pounds. Storley, Bellator’s interim welterweight champ, was 169.4, as well. He’ll be trying to avenge the lone loss of his MMA career, which came by split decision to Amosov in November 2020.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
Yaroslav Amosov admits that his outlook on MMA is “now a little bit different” after spending nearly 10 months fighting Russian forces in Ukraine.
DUBLIN – After everything he’s seen, everything he’s experienced, everything that’s happened and continues to happen in his war-torn country, how can [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] possibly focus on an MMA fight?
That’s the task in front of the Bellator welterweight champion, who will unify the 170-pound title when he meets interim champ [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] in the Showtime-televised Bellator 291 main event Saturday at 3Arena. It’s a rematch of a November 2020 fight that Amosov won by split decision.
During one portion of his media day session with reporters Wednesday, Amosov reflected on his decision and how it impacted his wife.
“She’s scared. She understands maybe I don’t call today, maybe not tomorrow. We don’t know,” Amosov said. “When the war started, she listened to what happened, because the first attack was close to my city. She heard rockets, airplanes shooting. She listened to all of this. … Of course, she’s scared. All people scared.”
Eight months prior to the Russia-Ukraine war beginning, Amosov won gold by beating then-champ Douglas Lima in a lopsided unanimous decision at Bellator 260. Amosov was slated to make his first title defense vs. Michael Page, but the tensions back home prevented him from focusing on training before he ultimately withdrew.
As he gets set for his first competition in 19 months, Amosov said the fighting back home – which has resulted in the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians – does serve as motivation, but he admits his outlook is “a little bit different.”
“The situation in Ukraine now is motivation,” said Amov, who will return to Ukraine to fight after Bellator 291, but not after he sees his wife and son. “Sometimes I think I’m training, and I think it’s hard training for me, not very good. Then after I think, I know why I’m fighting. For (Ukrainian soldiers), it’s hard. For me, just training.”
He continued, “It’s now a little bit different, because I understand. Before I was only a fighter, a sportsman. The cage was my home. Now I understand it’s only sports. It’s a big motivation for me, of course. I train, hard training. But I understand it’s not No. 1.
“No. 1 is save your family, you know? Your people. It’s different.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
