Bryan Barberena is finally getting back in the cage at UFC Lincoln after an injury layoff, but the good news is, he was able to salvage a previously scheduled bout with Jake Ellenberger.
Lincoln, NB — MMA Lab welterweight Bryan Barberena gets a second chance to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC Lincoln. It’s a fight that was booked once before, only to fall through when ‘Bam Bam’ was injured. He figured the bout had slipped through his fingers for good, until word came that Ellenberger was in need of an opponent at UFC Fight Night 135 in Lincoln.
Barberena jumped at the second chance. He spoke about that during Thursday’s UFC Lincoln media day with reporters. There, he told the media that he’s “focused. Really focused. I’ve been out for a little bit, healing up from some injuries. So I’m just really focused, really excited to get back in there and show people why I belong at the top.”
To get there, he must go through ‘The Juggernaut’ — and Barberena certainly worked to get the opportunity back.
“I’ve been actually looking for this fight for a long time. It’s one that I’ve wanted just as far as match-up wise, I love the fight,” he said of the booking. “Then it came together, and just things didn’t work out, I wasn’t able to get cleared by the doctor and everything.”
Truth be told, Barberena figured the fight was lost. “I wasn’t counting on it coming back together, honestly, I thought that was it, I missed my chance to fight him and I won’t get another shot,” he recalled. “And then the opportunity came, a close friend of mine, coach of mine, told me that the opportunity was there, and to reach out for it. I definitely put my name in the mix, kind of pushed for it, to make it happen, and luckily it came together.”
While ‘Bam Bam’ respects his opponent at UFC Lincoln, he also sees it as a favorable booking. “I really like the match-up. He’s tough, he has some tools. I think it’s a good fight for me,” the Montclair, CA native said. “He’s got a name, he’s been in the sport a long time, he’s done a lot for the sport, but I’m excited to take it all. It’s my time, and it’s time for him to pursue something else.”
As for how he’s approaching the bout, “I want to come out, I want to get a knockout, and that’s how this fight’s going to end.” Never mind that he’ll be in enemy territory.
As for his most recent fight camp, “it was great. I had a great camp. I made sure I was fully healed, ready to go, one hundred percent.”
“My foot was good, I haven’t had any problems,” Barberena said. “It’s been awesome, and I’m looking forward to just going out there and putting on a show.”
Catch the full UFC Lincoln media scrum with Bryan Barberena above. The card airs Saturday live on Fox Sports 1 (TSN 5 in Canada).
