Scouting Report: Yaroslav Amosov

Yaroslav Amosov

Born: September 9, 1993 (Age: 29) in Irpin, Ukraine
Division: Welterweight
Height: 5' 11”
Reach: 75”
Record: 26-0
Association: American Top Team/Hermes Kyiv
Stage of Career: Still Improving or Prime

Summary: In a division filled with outstanding grapplers, Amosov is one of the very best. His takedowns might not be the absolute best, but they’re close, with gorgeous snatch single-legs, quick entries, foot sweeps, inside trips, waist-locks, and some of the best high-amplitude throws and slams in the sport. However, Amosov isn't just confined to great takedowns; he has the whole grappling package. He has fantastic top control, very good ground-and-pound and a dangerous submission game thanks to his brabo choke. Additionally, he has the cardio to implement those tools for three or even five full rounds. Amosov’s striking isn't as fantastic, but he is very solid, scoring consistently with a nice jab and leg kicks, and with most of the rest of his techniques being at least decent. Additionally, he has exceptional footwork and very tough defense, making it difficult to exploit even if one can keep the fight standing. Thus, if he happens to meet another great grappler who can neutralize his wrestling, his striking is still good enough to out-point them.

STRIKING

• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Average.
• Jab: Very good; a straight, technical jab he doubles and triples up on well.
• Cross: Good; technical and accurate but lacking in a degree of power.
• Left Hook: Decent; solid arc, with some accuracy and power, but lacking a little rotation and speed, though he hurt Gerald Harris with it.
• Right Hook: Decent; nice, tight arc, but not enough rotation and slightly telegraphed.
• Overhand Right: Average; solid arc, but lacks accuracy and power.
• Uppercuts: Hardly ever throws them.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Loves throwing punches in bunches, especially a series of straights.
• Favorite Combination(s): A one-two, a one-one-two or even a one-one-one-two; a series of jabs with a right cross at some point.
• Leg Kicks: Excellent; quick, sudden and thrown from angles where he is difficult to counter.
• Body Kicks: Good whether roundhouse or front, but lacking a little in power.
• Head Kicks: Very good; has plenty of flexibility and power, which he occasionally disguises and has most success with when he bends down as if going for a single-leg.
• Knees: Very good jumping knee, accurate and powerful. Doesn't throw it wildly, but goes for it when an opponent is ducking down and fairly close.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.

Amosov is a good striker who focuses on the fundamentals. He doesn't possess knockout power, but he consistently scores, working primarily off a strong jab and fast, sudden leg kicks, which are his two best strikes. He can do some damage with his right cross and left hook, though it requires the opponent to make some mistakes, and isn't enough to get the knockout against his current level of competition. He does have a nice head kick which he sets up well by faking for the single. He also has a surprisingly nice jumping knee he doesn't use often, but always to good effect, waiting until an opponent is ducking while fairly close. His footwork is outstanding, with the feet nice and parallel as he does a good job of bouncing in and out of range. He also circles very nicely on the outside, mixing up directions but generally away from his opponent’s power, and has a very keen sense of distance. The only lapse in Amosov’s otherwise excellent defense is that it is possible to counter his straight punches, which can sometimes be predictable.

CLINCH

• Physical Strength: Great; an insanely strong individual who can repeatedly lift and slam opponents, even those with good grappling.
• Technique: Great; some absolutely gorgeous, textbook technique at almost all times.
• Knees: Good; throws them constantly and they land accurately, though some are lacking in power.
• Elbows: Decent; has an elbow he throws on the break, but it is not especially forceful.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: Great, on account of opponents having to worry too much about Amosov’s offense, especially his takedowns.

Amosov can score some good strikes in the clinch with his knees and while breaking with an elbow or even a body kick, but he is most dangerous here thanks to his fantastic grappling.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Great; has a very nice double-leg, but favors the single, which has a very fast entry, and which he can finish with a nice snatch.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: Great; beautiful foot sweeps, inside trips, waist locks and some stunning mat returns where he can get high-amplitude slams.
• Takedown Defense: All-time great, exceptionally hard to take down even against highly decorated wrestlers like Ed Ruth and Logan Storley.
• Ability to Return to Feet: All-time great; explodes to his feet at will on the occasions he is on the mat and doesn’t want to be there.
• Submissions: Excellent, especially a very tight, crushing brabo choke with which he can hit opponents trying to get back up, as he did in handing David Rickels his only submission loss.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: Difficult to say, since he almost never finds himself there for long.
• Top Control: Excellent; blocks escape attempts, attacks the base, and controls the hips as well as the wrists. Uses a Dagestani leg trap very effectively, too.
• Ground-and-Pound: Very good; throws clubbing left and right hooks at a steady rate and can go to the body well, though not all of the punches have his full weight behind them. Has an excellent short elbow that is always very damaging when it lands.

Amosov is a great grappler, not only because his takedowns are so great but because he possesses all the other skills one would want, as well. He has a multitude of takedowns, whether it's a nice blast double-leg, his fantastic single-leg and snatch single, or a plethora of foot-sweeps, inside trips, and waist locks from the clinch. Perhaps the most impressive are his huge mat returns, where he hoists his opponent ridiculously high and slams him to the canvas, something he can do again and again. However, equally impressive are the less showy elements, like his excellent top control. Once there, if his opponent tries to rise, he is in danger of Amosov’s tight, powerful brabo choke. If he stays down, Amosov has very good ground-and-pound, with a steady diet of clubbing hooks from both hands, including to the body, and a very powerful short elbow. Defensively, Amosov has neutralized some of the most decorated wrestlers in the sport, including three-time NCAA champion Ruth and four-time All-American Storley. His takedown defense is superb, but even when taken down, he almost immediately explodes back up to his feet.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Superlative. Amosov possesses ridiculous physical strength but still moves very fluidly and athletically across the cage, and is capable of moves like his nice jumping knee.
• Cardio: Great; fights at a very fast, energetic pace with lots of movement, strikes, and takedowns, and only starts to slow a little in round 3, though he still has plenty of energy left, especially for grappling.
• Chin: At least good. Has excellent defense and rarely gets hit, but when he has eaten some flush shots, he did not appear to be affected much.
• Recuperative Powers: Hard to say since he has never been badly hurt in Bellator.
• Intelligence: Great; has some sneaky setups for his grappling and striking and is very good at playing to his strengths in any fight. Never makes bad decisions in a fight.