The Bellator bantamweight grand prix took two big hits this week, leaving the promotion to scramble for a solution that has been found. The original eight-man tournament has become a 10-man tournament.
Thursday, Bellator announced two “wild card” bouts that feature four new fighters, which will take place April 22 at Bellator 278 in Honolulu. In one wild-card matchup, Jornel Lugo meets Danny Sabatello. On the other side of the bracket, a previously booked matchup between Enrique Barzola and Josh Hill becomes a wild-card bout. The winner of each fight will advance to the quarterfinals.
The winner of Lugo (8-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) vs. Sabatello (11-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) will move on to fight Leandro Higo, while the winner of Barzola (17-5-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) vs. Hill (21-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will advance to face Magomed Magomedov.
