HONOLULU – Even though Enrique Barzola had to basically start from scratch in his Bellator 278 preparation, he’s not deterred.
After original opponent Josh Hill pulled out, Barzola (17-5-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will start his quest toward a dream title when he takes on Nikita Mikhailov (9-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 278. Their fight is a wild card bout to open Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix.
The winner of the fight will move into the semifinals of the bracket to take on Magomed Magomedov. Ultimately, the tournament winner will be Bellator’s interim bantamweight champion and get a title unification bout against champ Sergio Pettis.
Check out Barzola’s full pre-fight media day interview in the video above.
Bellator 279’s Enrique Barzola not deterred by grand prix opponent switch