"I feel like Yaroslav is right there" - Austin Vanderford compares his training partner Yaroslav Amosov to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Austin Vanderford has made a bold statement by comparing his teammate Yaroslav Amosov to UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.

It’s difficult for anyone to be outright compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov because of just how much he accomplished in mixed martial arts. Prior to retiring at 29-0 he was quite easily one of the most exciting fighters of his generation. Now that he’s been able to ride off into the sunset, we can take a step back and look at his incredible body of work.

Yaroslav Amosov, on the other hand, is 26-0. He is the current Bellator welterweight champion after beating Douglas Lima for the strap earlier this year.

Austin Vanderford, who has spent a lot of time with Yaroslav Amosov, had high praise for the 28-year-old during a recent podcast appearance.

“I’ve said it from the first time I trained with him - one of the best in the world. Obviously he just won the welterweight title and people are seeing how good he is, but I think people will continue to see it. Khabib was so dominant in his grappling and what not and I feel Yaroslav is right there. You never really know with those guys until you have them locked up on you like, how f***ing hard it is to get away or stand up. I had never felt that in my life until I trained with him. It’s just a different thing.”

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How good is Yaroslav Amosov?

If Yaroslav Amosov continues dominating as he has over the last few years, he could be recognized as one of the best welterweights on the planet - including those in the UFC.

Austin Vanderford is obviously going to speak highly of his training partner and friend but he’s also an incredibly honest guy. Yaroslav Amosov comes across as one of those special talents for a weight class like 170. While we aren’t suggesting he could manhandle Kamaru Usman, he could be a top five guy - at the bare minimum - if he ever made the switch to the UFC.