LONDON – [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] is excited about the opportunity to fight [autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] at UFC 286.
Barberena (18-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) stepped in for Daniel Rodriguez to take on Nelson (18-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at The O2 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Having fought Matt Brown, Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos in his past three fights, Barberena puts Nelson in a similar class to his recent opposition.
“Actually, I pumped about the name,” Barberena said at Wednesday’s UFC 286 media day. “After the last fight and everything, I was bitter about it, bitter about my performance. I went right back to work and I think this fight kind of lines up perfectly for what I want to display and what I want to show.
“Gunnar is a legend in himself, especially in Europe and all over here. Now they’re bringing in another legend, legend vs. legend fight, so that’s exciting. And honestly I think for the fanbase and everything, I think this is a bigger fight than the original one.”
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Nelson has only fought once in the past four years, but Barberena doesn’t think his inactivity will have an impact on his performance.
“I’m familiar with layoffs as well so I expect him to be the best version of himself,” Barberena said. “I expect the best Gunnar, I think he’s going to come out firing, I think he’s going to come out ready to extend his win streak and make a run for the top again. He’s a legend and I think he’s still held high in the fighting community, in the world, and in the rankings. So, it’s a big deal, it’s a big fight, and like I said, I’m ready to go.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.
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