Undefeated Bellator welterweight champion and Ukrainian native, Yaroslav Amosov, provided some disturbing details of what his experience has been like defending his home country from the ongoing Russian invasion.
Amosov shared the following update via a video posted and translated by the Instagram account ukr_sport describing what life has been like for him over the past couple of months while the 28-year-old has been fighting with Ukrainian forces to protect his hometown of Irpin from opposing Russian military.
“Our enemies came to Ukraine with weapons and made chaos,” Amosov said (h/t MMA Junkie). “Me and my friends decided to help defend our country, our city, and we joined the territorial defense of our city Irpin. Russian soldiers bombed houses, killed civilians, raped women. They killed people in cars. People just wanted to leave the occupied territory. They just wanted to live. Many people were sitting in basements for more than a month. When Irpin was liberated, they were given a piece of bread. They wept and gave thanks. They sat without water, without light. They were afraid that someone would come in, and they would be shot.”
He continued on to give an update on his family's safety and why he understandably is unconcerned with Bellator making an interim welterweight title fight between, Michael "Venom" Page, and Logan Storley at Bellator 281 on May 13 in London, England.
“During the first days of the war, my mother stayed at home. But when it became dangerous, I ran to her and persuaded her to leave,” Amosov said. “And when my mom was packing, she hid the belt in the basement. It’s good that she did it because I was at her house. During the occupation, looters were there and destroyed her apartment. My family is safe. I came to my wife and son. We rested. Now I will return to Irpin. They made a fight for the interim title. It doesn’t matter to me. I will wait for the war to end and defend my title. I hope we will be able to return to our homes, (and) there will be peace on our land. The sun will shine, we will smile, and everything will be fine.”
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