Bellator 278: Enrique Barzola Believes Past Tournament Experience, Caldwell Win Gives Him Edge in Grand Prix

Former UFC fighter and TUF winner Enrique Barzola heads into the bantamweight grand prix this Friday, as part of two wild card fights.

For Barzola (17-5-2), who was originally outside of the grand prix until injuries struck Sergio Pettis and James Gallagher, it’s a shot he knew was a possibility. Speaking at this week’s Bellator Hawaii media day, promoting both Bellator 278 on Friday and Bellator 279 the following night, the Peruvian fighter told media outlets that “I was waiting for this opportunity. My coach, my team told me every day, you can start [preparing] for this opportunity.”

And so, Barzola kept “continuing my diet, [kept] continuing my training,” until the call came. “This opportunity is great for me.”

Even before it has kicked off, Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix has been plagued by injury. Apart from Pettis and Gallagher dropping out, Barzola himself originally had a different opponent for this wild card fight, Josh Hill. Now, he’s paired up with promotional newcomer Nikita Mikhailov, though he doesn’t believe it changes much.

“I believe in God, I believe in my team, I believe in my coach, in myself,” Barzola said. “It’s the same. The same way. I’m happy for this fight really.”

Barzola has a few factors working in his favor for the grand prix. One is past tournament experience. “In the past, two tournaments. In Peru, just one, with eight fighters. In another company, TUF, I won [the] championship in lightweight,” he noted. “Now it’s my third tournament. I’m happy, I’m ready.”

Another factor, a win over former bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell, in Barzola’s first Bellator fight. Asked if that January win was a confidence boost going into the grand prix, Barzola told Cageside Press that was “Absolutely right.”

“Because if I win [against] this guy, Darrion Caldwell, he’s ex-Bellator champion in 135, I can do it. I can [win] championships in the future,” Barzola stated. “But mentally my focus is on this fight. Nikita Mikhailov is my now, is my present in my fight. I don’t think [about] the one million dollars, Magomed [Magomedov], other fighters. Mentally, my focus is now on this fighter, Nikita.”

Watch the full Bellator Hawaii media day scrum with Enrique Barzola above. Barzola faces Nikita Mikhailov in a bantamweight grand prix wild card fight this Friday, April 22, 2022 at Bellator 278 in Honolulu, Hawaii.