At the post-fight news conference, Amosov was asked about Russia's war against Ukraine. The athlete gave a candid response, noting that octagon competition cannot be compared to real war.
"Some fighters say: 'Hey, the next fight will be war' or 'Tomorrow I'm going to war.' Hey guys, if you don't know what war is — shut up!” he said.
“You can't talk about it because war isn't the octagon, it's not a match. It's a completely different life. It's not hard training, not cutting weight or something like that. You can die any second. And your friend can die... It's completely different. My country has been living like this for years."
Yaroslav Amosov was born in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Russians occupied the city and committed war crimes there. Amosov joined territorial defense and helped drive Russian troops from his hometown.