Yaroslav Amosov wants Jason Jackson, not Michael Page, after Bellator 260 title win
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Yaroslav Amosov was champion for a matter of minutes before he publicly let it be known who he wants next.
At Bellator 260, Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) defeated welterweight king Douglas Lima (32-8 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) via a dominant five-round unanimous decision – an outcome he thinks a large chunk of people doubted was possible. Many online sportsbooks showed the fight as even, with others listing him as a slight underdog.
“A lot of people thought I was the underdog in this fight,” Amosov told MMA Junkie through a translator at a post-fight news conference Friday. “People knew I had better grappling, but people didn’t expect me to go the full five rounds. I was listening to my coaches’ advice. I was just going through it. Nobody expected me to go a full five rounds, judging me on my last fight because my last fight was very tiring. Nobody knew the situation with my last camp and now I showed you guys this is sambo.”
A major motivating factor for Amosov this camp was revealed in the cage immediately after his title win. In a matter of weeks, Amosov will become a father. He and his wife are expecting a baby boy – and the knowledge his son will be born with a champion father puts Amosov at ease.
“I’m very excited to have my first son,” Amosov said. “It gave me more motivation to be the champion because I wanted my son to come here and know that his dad is a champion. Now I can finally rest, help my wife with everything, go back home, and see my family. I’ll slowly start to recover and ask for another fight.”
As for what’s next, Amosov mentioned two options: Michael “Venom” Page and Jason Jackson. In May, Page (19-1 MMA, 15-1 BMMA) defeated Derek Anderson by doctor’s stoppage after breaking his nose with a kick. Jackson (15-4 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), on the other hand, defeated Paul Daley by unanimous decision immediately before Amosov, and Lima made their walks to the cage Friday. The two are not equal in his mind. There’s one he thinks makes more sense.
“I think Michael Page is a good fighter,” Amosov said. “Yes, of course. But I think he must fight Douglas Lima because it’s a rematch. Before this fight, I met (Jason) Jackson. He’s a good guy. He’s a very positive man. We talked. He’s a good guy. We (said), after this fight, if I won, then maybe Jackson would be the next fight together. No problem, with a smile. I think it’s Jason Jackson. Michael Page wants to fight, I think, with Douglas Lima. He wanted this fight, yes? Michael Page said, ‘I want the rematch with Lima.'”