The Bellator bantamweight grand prix has undergone yet another
change, as Nikita
Mikhailov will step in for Josh Hill
against Enrique
Barzola in the wild card round.
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The promotion announced the new pairing, which is slated for
Bellator 278, on Monday. Reasons for Hill’s withdrawal have not
been disclosed. The Mikhailov-Barzola winner will advance to face
Magomed
Magomedov in the 135-pound semifinals at Bellator 282 on June
24.
Bellator 278 takes place on April 22 at Neil S. Blasdell Center in
Honolulu, Hawaii, and is headlined by a women’s flyweight
championship tilt between Juliana
Velasquez and Liz
Carmouche.
A 23-year-old Fedorteam export, Mikhailov has been victorious in
eight of his nine professional outings thus far. The Fight Nights
Global veteran kicked off his promotional tenure with a decision
win over Brian Moore
at Bellator 269 and a third-round TKO of Blaine
Shutt at Bellator 273.
After a 6-3-1 stint in the UFC, Barzola made his debut with the
California-based organization at Bellator 273, where he defeated
ex-bantamweight champ Darrion
Caldwell via third-round TKO.