Darrion Caldwell expects to “break” Enrique Barzola and finish him in the first, confident he will get his belt back soon

Darrion Caldwell is eager to finally fight again.

Caldwell last fought in May of 2021, suffering a split decision loss to Leandro Higo. It was his second defeat in a row and after the loss he said he wanted a quick turnaround, but that never happened.

Instead, he will welcome Enrique Barzola to Bellator at Bellator 273 on Saturday which he is excited about.

“I really wanted to get back in there sooner but it didn’t happen,” Caldwell said to BJPENN.com. “I’m happy I got this opponent though, the goal is to beat as many ex-UFC fighters as possible so I’m excited about this matchup.”

Against Barzola, Caldwell believes he will have the speed advantage and is the better all-around fighter. With that, he expects to finish Barzola to get back into the win column in a big way.

“I should have the speed advantage which is always important to me,” Caldwell said. “But, to be honest, I don’t see this guy lasting the first round, I don’t know where this fight takes place I just know I stop him either on the ground or on the feet. I’m going to put pressure on him and break him early.”

If Darrion Caldwell does find the stoppage win, he says he wants Bellator to feed him all the ex-UFC fighters they have so he can beat them all up.

For Caldwell, who is not a part of the bantamweight grand prix, he says he will stay ready in case anyone pulls out. However, the plan is to stack up wins and prove he deserves to face the winner when it wraps up.

“Yeah, I was disappointed but it is what it is. I kind of knew based on the rankings and who they wanted in there,” Caldwell said. “It is what it is, honestly, I trust Bellator and maybe it’s not the right time for me but I will be champion again and get my title back again soon whether it’s through the grand prix or after…

“It just gets me back in the win column. But, as the grand prix is going on, bring all these ex-UFC fighters over so I can beat them,” Caldwell concluded. “These wins just add ot my legacy and bring me one step closer to getting back my belt. My plan is to get this finish and I’ll stay ready for the grand prix in case someone pulls out.”

Do you think Darrion Caldwell will defeat Enrique Barzola at Bellator 273?