Yaroslav Amosov is on a mission to impress the UFC brass and he’ll attempt to do that against a fighter who used to compete under the promotion’s banner.
In his first fight post-Bellator, Amosov (27-1) takes on Curtis Millender (21-10) in a three-round bout. The fight will headline Fightality: Legacy Revival, a March 14 event at Compass Arena in Willowbrook, Ill., just outside Chicago.
Amosov, 31, was touted by many as one of the best welterweights in the world during his title reign as Bellator champion from 2021 to 2023 – which occurred as he fought in war for Ukraine against Russia.
The upcoming fight will be his first since November 2023 when he lost the title to Jason Jackson in a surprising TKO upset.
Shortly after the merger of PFL and Bellator, Amosov informed MMA Junkie he was a free agent and planned on working his way to the UFC.
“We have a plan,” Amosov told MMA Junkie in October during his first interview after his Bellator departure. “We want to sign a contract for just one fight (somewhere). After one fight, we want to go to the UFC.”
Millender, 37, competed for the UFC five times and compiled a 3-2 record. Since his promotional departure in 2019, Millender has competed for Bellator, PFL, XMMA, and Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA among other promotions. He enters the bout on a two-fight skid that came after four-straight wins.
