Wikipedia

Enrique Barzola

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Barzola and the second or maternal family name is Acosta.

Enrique Johnatan Barzola Acosta[1] (born 28 April 1989) is a Peruvian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of Professional Fighters League. He was the lightweight winner on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2[5] and he competed in both Bellator MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[2]

Enrique Barzola
BornEnrique Johnatan Barzola Acosta[1]
(1989-04-28) 28 April 1989 (age 35)
Lima, Peru[2]
Other namesEl Fuerte
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
DivisionFeatherweight
Bantamweight (2020-present)
Reach70 in (178 cm)
StyleWrestling, Luta Livre, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Fighting out ofLima, Peru
TeamAmerican Top Team (2015–2019)[3]
American Kickboxing Academy (2019–present)[4]
RankBlack belt in Luta Livre under Ivan Iberico
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total32
Wins21
By knockout5
By submission4
By decision12
Losses9
By submission1
By decision8
Draws2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

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Barzola was born in Lima, Peru. He was graphic designer and studied architecture in college briefly prior to fighting professionally in MMA.[2]

Barzola was a wrestler and never thought that he would become a professional fighter, due to money being scarce to pay for MMA lessons. He has enjoyed mixed martial arts from a young age, watching Cain Velasquez and Fedor Emelianenko on YouTube.[6] He transitioned from wrestling to mixed martial arts when he was 22.[2] After six months of training, he announced that he would one day fight in UFC where he was laughed at by his gym mates,[7] and four years later he became the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2".[5]

Mixed martial arts career

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Early career

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Barzola began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2012.

While on the regional circuit in South America, he competed primarily in his home country of Peru. He amassed a record of 10-2-1 prior joining UFC.[8]

The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2

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Barzola was selected as one of the cast members for The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2, UFC The Ultimate Fighter TV series, under Team Efrain Escudero in April 2015.[9]

In the elimination round, Barzola defeated the Chilean Jonathan Ortega by unanimous decision.[10] Barzola next faced Paraguayan Cesar Arzamendia in the semifinals and won by submission in round one. He moved on to face Horacio Gultierrez in the finals at UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Gastelum.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

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Barzola made his promotional debut on 21 November 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale. He faced Horacio Gutierrez in the finals for The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2. He defeated Gutierrez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30–27, 30–27).[5]

He next faced Kyle Bochniak on 27 August 2016 at UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit.[11] He lost via split decision.[12] He stated after the fight that he disagreed with the judges decision saying "It was a very bad decision because everyone saw that I won. I connected more, I was more active and pressed all the time. I will correct some errors without considering this duel as a defeat".[13] 14 out of 14 media scores gave it to Barzola.[14]

His third fight in UFC was against Chris Avila on 5 November 2016 at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale.[15] He picked up a win via unanimous decision.[16]

On 13 May 2017, Barzola took up Gabriel Benítez at UFC 211.[17] After three rounds, judges awarded the win to Barzola via unanimous decision with (29-28) across the score board.[18]

Barzola faced Arnold Allen at UFC 220 on 20 January 2018.[19] However, Allen was pulled from the fight on 11 January due to alleged visa issues which restricted his ability to travel, and he was replaced by Matt Bessette.[20] Barzola won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]

Barzola faced Brandon Davis on 19 May 2018 at UFC Fight Night 129.[22] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[23]

Barzola was expected to face Nad Narimani on 17 November 2018 at UFC Fight Night 140.[24] However, on 25 October 2018, it was reported that Barzola pulled out of the fight due to arm injury.[25]

Barzola faced Kevin Aguilar on 30 March 2019 at UFC on ESPN 2.[26] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[27]

Barzola faced Bobby Moffett on 10 August 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 14.[28] He won the fight via split decision.[29] 7 out of 12 media scores gave it to Barzola.[30]

Barzola faced Movsar Evloev on 26 October 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 20.[31] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[32] 4 out of 9 media scores gave it to Barzola.[33]

Barzola faced Rani Yahya on 14 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night 170.[34] After a back-and-forth three rounds, the judges declared the bout a majority draw decision.[35]

After fighting out his four-year and 10-fight contract, he was not re-signed and became a free agent.[36][37]

Bellator MMA

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On 11 August 2021, it was announced that Barzola signed a multifight contract with Bellator.[38]

Barzola made his promotional debut against Darrion Caldwell on January 29, 2022, at Bellator 273.[39] He won the bout via ground and pound TKO in the third round.[40]

Barzola was scheduled to face Josh Hill on April 22, 2022, at Bellator 278.[41] Due to the pull out of two fighters from the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix due to injuries, the bout was changed to a wild card qualifier for one of the spots in the tournament.[42] Due to Covid, Hill had to pull out of the bout and was replaced by Nikita Mikhailov.[43][44] He won the bout in dominant fashion via unanimous decision.[45]

Barzola faced Magomed Magomedov in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix on June 24, 2022, at Bellator 282.[45] He lost the bout via guillotine choke in the fourth round, losing for the first time via stoppage in his career.[46]

Barzola faced Juan Archuleta on October 1, 2022, at Bellator 286.[47] At weigh ins, the bout was moved to a catchweight of 141 pounds.[48] In a fast-paced bout, Barzola lost the bout via unanimous decision.[49]

Barzola faced Érik Pérez on March 10, 2023, at Bellator 292.[50] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[51]

Barzola faced Jaylon Bates on August 11, 2023, at Bellator 298.[52] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[53]

PFL

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In his PFL debut, Barzola faced Ádám Borics on April 19, 2024 at PFL 3 (2024).[54] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[55]

Barzola next faced Timur Khizriev at PFL 6 (2024) on June 28, 2024, losing the fight via unanimous decision.[56]

Barzola faced Tyler Diamond on August 23, 2024 at PFL 9.[57] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Championships and accomplishments

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Mixed martial arts

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Personal life

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Barzola's moniker "El Fuerte" means "The Fort / The Strong" in English and he considers himself as "The Fort of El Agustino" (El Agustino, a district of Lima) - a humble person who fights for his dream.[59]

Barzola appeared in the Reebok "Be More Human" Latin America advertising campaign.[60][61]

His favorite fighter is Stipe Miocic.[62]

He is also a Christian, and nicknames himself "Guerrero de Cristo" (Warrior for Christ), as this nickname is also written on a Peruvian flag that is usually shown in the cage.[63]

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
32 matches 21 wins 9 losses
By knockout 5 0
By submission 4 1
By decision 12 8
Draws 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 21–9–2 Tyler Diamond Decision (unanimous) PFL 9 (2024) August 23, 2024 3 5:00 Washington, D.C., United States 2024 PFL Featherweight Tournament Alternate bout.
Loss 20–9–2 Timur Khizriev Decision (unanimous) PFL 6 (2024) June 28, 2024 3 5:00 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Loss 20–8–2 Ádám Borics Decision (unanimous) PFL 3 (2024) April 19, 2024 3 5:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States Return to Featherweight.
Win 20–7–2 Jaylon Bates Decision (unanimous) Bellator 298 August 11, 2023 3 5:00 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win 19–7–2 Érik Pérez Decision (unanimous) Bellator 292 March 10, 2023 3 5:00 San Jose, California, United States Featherweight bout.
Loss 18–7–2 Juan Archuleta Decision (unanimous) Bellator 286 October 1, 2022 3 5:00 Long Beach, California, United States Catchweight (141 lb) bout.
Loss 18–6–2 Magomed Magomedov Submission (guillotine choke) Bellator 282 June 24, 2022 4 1:27 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 18–5–2 Nikita Mikhailov Decision (unanimous) Bellator 278 April 22, 2022 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Catchweight (140 lb) bout. Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Wild Card Qualifier.
Win 17–5–2 Darrion Caldwell TKO (punches and elbows) Bellator 273 January 29, 2022 3 3:01 Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Draw 16–5–2 Rani Yahya Draw (majority) UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira March 14, 2020 3 5:00 Brasília, Brazil Bantamweight debut.
Loss 16–5–1 Movsar Evloev Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren October 26, 2019 3 5:00 Kallang, Singapore
Win 16–4–1 Bobby Moffett Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 August 10, 2019 3 5:00 Montevideo, Uruguay
Loss 15–4–1 Kevin Aguilar Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje March 30, 2019 3 5:00 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 15–3–1 Brandon Davis Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman May 19, 2018 3 5:00 Santiago, Chile
Win 14–3–1 Matt Bessette Decision (unanimous) UFC 220 January 20, 2018 3 5:00 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win 13–3–1 Gabriel Benítez Decision (unanimous) UFC 211 May 13, 2017 3 5:00 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win 12–3–1 Chris Avila Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson November 5, 2016 3 5:00 Mexico City, Mexico
Loss 11–3–1 Kyle Bochniak Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit August 27, 2016 3 5:00 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Return to Featherweight.
Win 11–2–1 Horacio Gutierrez Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale: Magny vs. Gastelum November 21, 2015 3 5:00 Monterrey, Mexico Won The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2 Lightweight Tournament.
Win 10–2–1 Fernando Perez TKO (punches) Peru FC 18 September 6, 2014 2 4:36 Lima, Peru
Loss 9–2–1 Martin Mollinedo Decision (unanimous) Fusion FC 9 July 16, 2014 3 5:00 Lima, Peru
Win 9–1–1 Manuel Meza Decision (unanimous) Inka FC 26 May 24, 2014 3 5:00 Lima, Peru
Win 8–1–1 Humberto Bandenay Submission (rear-naked choke) Inka FC 25 April 16, 2014 2 N/A Lima, Peru
Loss 7–1–1 Fernando Bruno Decision (unanimous) 300 Sparta 5 Grand Prix February 4, 2014 2 5:00 Lima, Peru 300 Sparta Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinal.
Win 7–0–1 Marco Anatoly TKO (punches) 2 N/A 300 Sparta Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 6–0–1 Missael Silva de Souza TKO (punches) Show Fighting Enterprise 2 November 30, 2013 2 2:25 Quito, Ecuador
Win 5–0–1 Joel Iglesias TKO (punches) Inka FC 24 October 23, 2013 2 3:29 Lima, Peru
Win 4–0–1 Jorge Enciso Submission (rear-naked choke) 300 Sparta MMA 4 Error in Template:Date table sorting: '10l' is not a valid day 1 0:00 Lima, Peru
Draw 3–0–1 Gonzalo Vallejo Decision (unanimous) 300 Sparta MMA 2 July 17, 2013 3 5:00 Lima, Peru
Win 3–0 Emiliano Nielli Submission (rear-naked choke) Inka FC 21 May 19, 2013 3 0:00 Lima, Peru
Win 2–0 Jorge Luis Figueroa Duran Decision (unanimous) 300 Sparta MMA 1 April 24, 2013 3 5:00 Lima, Peru
Win 1–0 Arturo Frias Submission (rear-naked choke) Inka FC 19 December 12, 2012 1 2:28 Lima, Peru Featherweight debut.

[64]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Enrique Barzola". Tapology.com. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Enrique Barzola". UFC.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  3. ^ "La hazaña de Enrique Barzola deja huella peruana en UFC - FIGHTLAND". Fightland. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. ^ Danny Segura (10 August 2019). "Enrique Barzola details 'radical' training camp switch to AKA in preparation for UFC Uruguay". mmafighting.com.
  5. ^ a b c d "UFC Fight Night 78 results: Enrique Barzola dominates Horacio Gutierrez for 'TUF' crown". MMAjunkie. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Central CMD: Informe especial sobre Enrique Barzola (UFC)". YouTube. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  7. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Enrique". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. ^ "The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Cast Revealed - MMAWeekly.com". Mmaweekly.com. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  10. ^ [2][dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Enrique Barzola meets Kyle Bochniak at UFC on FOX 21". MMAjunkie. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  12. ^ "UFC on FOX 21 results: Kyle Bochniak's leg kicks help in split decision over Enrique Barzola". MMAjunkie. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  13. ^ "El peruano Barzola perdió con polémica en UFC". Univision.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Kyle Bochniak def. Enrique Barzola: UFC on Fox 21 :: MMA Decisions". mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  15. ^ "UFC Fight Night 98 adds Chris Avila vs. Enrique Barzola, Enrique Briones vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade". MMAjunkie. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  16. ^ "UFC Fight Night 98 results: Enrique Barzola uses takedowns to cruise past Chris Avila". MMAjunkie. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  17. ^ "'The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America' vets Enrique Barzola and Gabriel Benitez meet at UFC 211 in Dallas". MMAjunkie. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  18. ^ "UFC 211 results: Enrique Barzola tops Gabriel Benitez in fun back-and-forth scrap". MMAjunkie. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  19. ^ Bermúdez, Pablo (30 December 2017). "UFC: peruano Enrique Barzola enfrentará a Arnold Allen el 20 de enero en Boston". depor.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  20. ^ "UFC 220: Matt Bessette booked to fight Enrique Barzola". FanSided. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  21. ^ "UFC 220 results: Takedowns help Enrique Barzola to unanimous decision over Matt Bessette". MMAjunkie. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  22. ^ Marcel Dorff (12 April 2018). "Enrique Barzola meets Brandon Davis during UFC Fight Night 129 in Santiago". mmadna.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 April 2018.
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  24. ^ Marcel Dorff (16 August 2018). "Enrique Barzola vs. Nad Narimani first known fight for UFC Buenos Aires" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  25. ^ DNA, MMA (26 October 2018). "Enrique Barzola geblesseerd, vecht niet tegen Nad Narimani tijdens UFC Buenos Aires". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  26. ^ Marcel Dorff (7 February 2019). "Featherweight match between Enrique Barzola and Kevin Aguilar at UFC Philadelphia" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  27. ^ "UFC Philadelphia: Kevin Aguilar denies takedowns, decisions Enrique Barzola". MMA Junkie. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  28. ^ Trome, Redacción (14 June 2019). "Enrique Barzola volverá a la acción en el UFC Uruguay, ante 'El Hombre Lobo' Bobby Moffett". trome.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 June 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ Harshman, Heath (10 August 2019). "UFC Uruguay Results: Enrique Barzola Narrowly Out-Works Bobby Moffett for Split-Decision Victory". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  30. ^ "Enrique Barzola def. Bobby Moffett : UFC on ESPN+ 14 :: MMA Decisions". www.mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  31. ^ DNA, MMA (30 September 2019). "BREAKING: Enrique Barzola vs. Movsar Evloev toegevoegd aan UFC Singapore". Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  32. ^ Anderson, Jay (26 October 2019). "UFC Singapore Results: Movsar Evloev Earns Hard-Fought Decision Over Game Enrique Barzola". Cageside Press. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  33. ^ "Movsar Evloev def. Enrique Barzola :: UFC on ESPN+ 20 : MMA Decisions". www.mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  34. ^ DNA, MMA (26 December 2019). "De UFC bevestigd drie nieuwe gevechten voor UFC Brasilia (incl. potentiële #1 contender gevecht)". Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  35. ^ Anderson, Jay (14 March 2020). "UFC Brasilia Results: Rani Yahya Dominates Early, Enrique Barzola Storms Back in Majority Draw". Cageside Press. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  36. ^ Simon, Zane (29 January 2013). "List of current UFC fighters". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  37. ^ Danny Segura (15 May 2021). "Following surprise UFC departure, Enrique Barzola excited to test free agency". MMAjunkie.com.
  38. ^ "'TUF: Latin America 2' winner Enrique Barzola signs multifight contract with Bellator". MMA Junkie. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  39. ^ ATSteveDuncan (13 December 2021). "Enrique Barzola debutará en Bellator MMA el 29 de enero". MMA.uno, #1 En noticias de Artes Marciales Mixtas (MMA) en Español. (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  40. ^ Briggs, Brady (30 January 2022). "Enrique Barzola breaks, stops Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 273". MyMMANews.com. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Bellator 278 adds Enrique Barzola vs. Josh Hill to lineup for Hawaii". MMA Junkie. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  42. ^ "Bellator adds two wild card bouts, four fighters to bantamweight grand prix". MMA Junkie. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  43. ^ "Bellator bantamweight grand prix takes another hit with Josh Hill withdrawal". MMA Junkie. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  44. ^ "Josh Hill out of Bellator bantamweight grand prix, Nikita Mikhailov to face Enrique Barzola". MMA Junkie. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  45. ^ a b "Bellator 278 results: Enrique Barzola, Danny Sabatello enter Bellator grand prix after wild card wins". MMA Junkie. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  46. ^ King, Nolan (25 June 2022). "Bellator 282 results: Magomed Magomedov jumps for a guillotine, becomes first to submit Enrique Barzola". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  47. ^ Hannoun, Farah (9 August 2022). "Aaron Pico vs. Jeremy Kennedy, Juan Archuleta vs. Enrique Barzola among 6 additions to Bellator 286". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  48. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 286 Weigh-in Results: Title Fight Official; 2 Fighters Miss Weight". Sherdog. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  49. ^ Bohn, Mike (2 October 2022). "Bellator 286 results: Juan Archuleta's takedowns key in decision over Enrique Barzola". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  50. ^ Segura, Danny; King, Nolan (13 January 2023). "Erik Perez vs. Enrique Barzola booked for Bellator 292". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  51. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 292 'Nurmagomedov vs. Henderson' Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring". Sherdog. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  52. ^ Anderson, Jay (26 June 2023). "Enrique Barzola vs. Jaylon Bates Announced for Bellator 298". Cageside Press. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  53. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 298 'Storley vs. Ward' Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring". Sherdog. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  54. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (11 March 2024). "PFL announces full line-ups for first 3 season events, 8 ex-Bellator champions debut". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  55. ^ Meshew, Jed (20 April 2024). "PFL 3 Results: Magomed Umalatov remains unbeaten, Brendan Loughnane gets back on track with quick win". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  56. ^ "Timur Khizriev puts on all-around dominant performance in decision win". pflmma.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  57. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (17 July 2024). "PFL announces new matchups, playoff alternates for August cards". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  58. ^ UFC.com (21 January 2024). "UFC Stats - Featherweight Division". ufc.com.
  59. ^ "TUF: Latin America Finale Prelim Breakout Star: Enrique Barzola - MMA Manifesto". Thesportsdaily.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  60. ^ Peru.com (16 November 2016). "UFC: Enrique Barzola y su conmovedora historia que enorgullece al Perú". Perú.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  61. ^ "Enrique Barzola y su lado más humano". YouTube. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  62. ^ Alva, Gino (26 August 2016). "Enrique Barzola: "En UFC me verán más evolucionado contra Bochniak"". MMA.uno, #1 En noticias de Artes Marciales Mixtas (MMA) en Español. (in European Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  63. ^ "UFC: Enrique Barzola y sus emotivas palabras para celebrar su ingreso a la empresa" (in Spanish). 22 November 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  64. ^ Sherdog.com. "Enrique". Sherdog. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
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