After over five years and ten fights in the UFC, Enrique Barzola is on the road to winning a million dollars in Bellator.
The money will come to the winner of the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix, and after winning a qualifying fight, Barzola (18-5-2) gets Magomed Magomedov in a quarterfinal bout this Friday at Bellator 282.
“Wow, it’s too [much] money right? But now, I’m keeping focused on my fights, keeping focused on this fight with Magomed on Friday,” Barolza told Cageside Press, when asked about the potential financial windfall winning the tournament would bring. “I have [a calmness] for this fight, it’s very important for me, keep calm. That’s it. Because if I think about the money, I don’t stay focused. It’s very important, now, [to] stay calm.”
Magomedov has shared the came with some big names, Barzola agreed, but the Peruvian fighter says he’s ready for the challenge.
“Petr Yan is a good fighter, for me, [but] I don’t care. Because I’m ready for [Magomedov], I’m ready to destroy this guy,” he stated. “It’s no problem for me if this guy fought with ex-champions like Petr Yan or other fighters, but now, he’s going to fight with me this Friday. I’m really ready for this.”
“I have a lot of experience, I’ve fought with a lot of Russians, [and] I’m going to destroy this guy,” Barzola added.
The The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2 winner also has plenty of experience with tournaments. That could give him an edge, but Barzola also knows he has to be careful not to repeat past mistakes.
“I have a lot of experience for tournaments. My first tournament was in Peru, but I lost. I remember I lost because I was thinking about money, I was thinking about [the] final,” Barzola recalled. “I fought once, I win, in the second fight, I lost because I was thinking [about] my next fight, the final, this was my mistake.”
“The second tournament was in the UFC, TUF Latin America, where I became champion in this tournament, in 155. Now it’s my third tournament, in Bellator,” he continued. “I have a lot of experience for tournaments, but most important, I need to stay current, my focus on Magomed. Now, this Friday, I’m going to kill this guy.”
Watch the full Bellator 282 media day scrum with Enrique Barzola above. The event takes place this Friday, June 24, 2022 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
