After a two-year hiatus and a change in weight class, Irish MMA fighter James Gallagher returned to Bellator, promising a stronger performance in his upcoming fight against Leandro Higo, and expressing his ambition to defend his undefeated featherweight record and potentially secure a title shot later this year.
James Gallagher is back in the ring. After a two-year hiatus and a change in weight class, he made his Bellator comeback last August.
He shook off the ring rust. But, he wasn’t at his best when he scored a split decision win over James Gonzalez. Looking back, he’s not making excuses. He’s just making promises.
“I didn’t have that swagger back in myself,” Gallagher confessed. He’s set to face Leandro Higo at Bellator Belfast this Friday. “But I did what needed to be done and got the win. That’s all that matters. And yeah, the swagger is back for this one.”
After his win, Gallagher was back in Thailand in no time. He’s been training there, adapting to his new featherweight home. He started his career at 145 pounds, then felt the need to cut weight to stay competitive.
He found success at bantamweight. But now, at 27, the Irish fighter admits he was probably always better off in the featherweight division.
“I didn’t go down to 135 until I had about seven fights,” Gallagher explained. “I’ve never been beat at 145. I’ve got about eight or nine 145 fights now, all wins. So, it’s like, why fix what’s not broken?”
“I walk around at about 77 or 78 kilograms (170 pounds), so [135] is a f****** long, long way from that. It’s just healthier. I feel like an athlete in training camp, not someone starving to make a weight class. I can focus on technique, sparring rounds, proper strength and conditioning training. I just feel better. I felt like I was injured every other training session [at 135].”
Now, Gallagher is healthy and happy at 145 pounds. He’s eager to defend his undefeated featherweight record. He’s hoping for a title shot later this year.
Gallagher was originally set to fight Jeremy Kennedy. The bout was supposed to determine the next contender for reigning champion Patricio Pitbull. But after Pitbull’s fight at the PFL vs. Bellator card was scrapped, officials decided to move him to the Belfast card to defend his belt against Kennedy.
That left Gallagher without an opponent. Bellator quickly matched him up with Higo, a fighter he’s been scheduled to face in the past at bantamweight. The changes didn’t faze him. For Gallagher, the stakes are still high.
“I don’t give a f***,” Gallagher said about the change in opponents. “Not one issue. I’m fighting Leandro Higo now. OK, let’s go, whoever the f*** is in there, he’s going to get it. I’ve been training hard, putting in the work. I feel like I’m a new kind of athlete. I’m excited to show it. I don’t give a f*** who’s standing in front of me. They’re going to see the best version of me.”
“That’s exactly what it is. That’s exactly what’s going on. I’m going to go in and beat Leandro Higo and I’m going to fight for the belt next.”
When two well-known grapplers face off, there’s often a stalemate leading to plenty of exchanges on the feet. But Gallagher guarantees that won’t happen with Higo. Whether the Brazilian wants to go to the ground with him or not, Gallagher said his opponent will have no other choice.
“He’s good at what I’m best at,” Gallagher said. “There’s a difference. He’s good, I’m the best.”
“He’s going to have no choice. I’m going to get on top of him, elbow him in the head, take his back and choke him. He’s going to have no choice — whether he welcomes it or not, that’s what’s going to happen. I’m going straight into those exchanges.”