Enrique Barzola Calls Out Former UFC Champion

UFC Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 winner Enrique Barzola hasn’t competed since a decision win over Chris Avila at UFC Fight Night 98.

Victory aside, Barzola believes bigger things are ahead of him in the UFC.

“I’d like to fight Renan Barao because it’d be a very big step for my career, so I hope the UFC considers me for that fight,” Barzola told MMA Fighting. “I know it’s a hard fight, but I know I have all the strength and capability to beat him. I’m confident in my talent, I’m confident in my training, my coaches, and my team, so I’m sure that I would give him a good battle, and that it would be a good victory for me. I know Renan Barao used to fight at bantamweight, but now he fights at featherweight, so why wouldn’t I want to fight and beat a former champion of the UFC’s bantamweight division? I know that that would be good for my career, beat a former champion, and I think that would help me advance very quickly to the top of the division.”

No matter who Barzola fights next, he has a date in mind for that next bout.

“I’m in my best moment, I’m young, I’m 27 years old, I’m at the age where I’m both physically and mentally strong as a fighter and as a person,” Barzola said. “Right now, I’ve been resting since my last fight in Mexico, but I’ve been preparing a lot, strengthening many areas that I needed to improve like my Muay Thai, my boxing. I’ve improved a lot. I feel prepared because I’m always training to improve, and to this date, I haven’t stopped improving. I’m getting very technical and I’m strong. Like I said, I’m at my best moment right now, I’m young, and I have a lot of strength, and I’m hungry to improve as a fighter. I don’t want time to pass, get to 30, and not have fought against the top. I want to fight against the best fighters right now, no matter who it is against.”

Barzola holds a record of 2-1-0 in the UFC (12-3-1 overall), with those two wins coming over Horacio Gutierrez and Chris Avila.