Logan Storley isn’t interested in starting some UFC vs. Bellator debate. But in his mind, he’s about to battle for the top spot in the welterweight division across any promotion.
Part of the reason he feels that way comes down to the admiration that Storley has for his upcoming opponent, Yaroslav Amosov, who is the only fighter to hand him a defeat in his 15-fight career. Meanwhile, Amasov sports a perfect 26-0 resume that includes a win over Douglas Lima, which crowned him Bellator welterweight champion.
That adds up in 40 wins with only one loss, and Storley cannot imagine a better resume, particularly after having shared the cage previously with Amosov.
” I knew after our first fight that we would see each other again,” Storley said to MMA Fighting. “I know that this [rematch] isn’t the end of the road for me and him. He is a formidable competitor. Me and him — I truly, truly, truly believe we are the top two welterweights in the world.”
Amosov is largely ahead of the rest in Bellator, with the exception of that split win over Storley in 2020..
The back-and forth battle was a great success with both men. Storley credits Amosov for making him realize that he had much to learn.
“It was after that mid-second [round] and there was a big scramble and we kind of both bit down, and I feel like that’s when I changed a lot as a fighter,” Storley explained. “In that second round, when I realized I couldn’t get to my takedown as easy as I have in past other fights, and bite down on the mouthpiece, going forward and throwing as hard as I can and knowing how hard that fight was.
“That was the most important takeaway that I got. We’re going to get in a real dog fight here and we’re going to figure it out.”
The split decision was a hard pill to swallow, but Storley never called it a robbery.
Instead, he took a very long drive back home from Florida to South Dakota with nothing but the fight against Amosov to pore over in his mind, but that time to reflect allowed him to dissect what went right and what went wrong so he could make the necessary adjustments for next time.
“That was during COVID so I drove home, took a little time, and that was a long car ride of 25 hours,” Storley said. That car ride was filled with a lot thought. All by myself, and trying to figure out what needs changing.
“When I got ready to go again, you have to put it in the past and learn from it. I changed a lot of things and had a lot of things written down about what I didn’t do right. Now the last three fights, I know exactly what I need to do. This was an amazing learning experience. It’s your right to get it back .”
Since that fight, Storley has gone 3-0, including his split decision win over Michael “Venom” Page to become Bellator interim welterweight champion.
Sadly, Amosov hasn’t been able to stay as active after beating Lima because the Russian invasion into his native Ukraine forced the 29-year-old fighter to move his family out of the country before he returned to fight for his home.
As he resumes his career, Amosov is understandably anxious to defend his title, while Storley is more than ready to get his revenge.
“He is aware that I am much more capable,” Storley stated. He beat [Douglas] Lima to win the title. We haven’t seen him since. But, I do expect him better because I know that I’m much better.
“I’ve been in the cage for two 25-minute fights. It was the [Neiman] Gracie vs. 25 fight. Then it was time for the MVP [Michael ‘Venom’ Page] battle. This is a difficult guy to get into his groove. I’ve put in the time and I know where I’m at, especially with the training partners I have. It’s a constant improvement process and I am excited to share it .”
Storley would be undisputed champion for the first time. He was an All-American college wrestler, but never won an NCAA title. He has a piece of gold right now with the interim belt, but claiming the undisputed title would mean the world to Storley, especially with the chance to go up against Amosov again.
“I’ve been wrestling since I was five years old. That’s 25 years of competing,” Storley said. “The MVP fight, that was getting over that hump [to win a title]. I didn’t get over it in my NCAA career. It was to have gold, and now to avenge that loss and stamp my name as the undisputed champion and earn another belt. On Saturday, I will prove that I am the greatest welterweight fighter in the world .”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/2/24/23613897/logan-storley-yaroslav-amosov-i-truly-truly-believe-we-are-the-top-two-welterweights-in-the-world?rand=96749
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