Three weeks after submitting Jonathan Wilson in his Bellator debut, Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros agreed to replace Yoel Romero in the first round of the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix.
Once the decision to step in and face Anthony Johnson at Bellator 258 was finalized, Azevedo found immediate support from master and teammate Patricio Freire.
“We see ‘Gugu’ as a better striker than Anthony Johnson,” said the Bellator two-division champion. “Johnson is a very experienced and dangerous fighter but is coming from four years of inactivity.