James Gallagher: From School Drop-Out To Undefeated Bellator Fighter

James Gallagher: From School Drop-Out To Undefeated Bellator Fighter

By Dan McConnell

Rising undefeated Team SBG fighter James Gallagher (7-0) returns to the Bellator cage this Friday night. There are not many more catchy nicknames in the world of MMA than ‘The Strabanimal’ who looks to add to his unbeaten record at Bellator 204 in Sioux Falls South Dakota.

At the age of 13 Gallagher had his very first amateur mixed martial arts fight tapping out his opponent via armbar in 48 seconds who was a few years his elder. In his second fight he faced a 21-year-old who he dominated. Head Coach of SBG Ireland John Kavanagh spotted this talent and was impressed eventually inviting him to train in Dublin.

Gallagher was still in school at this time and worked his training around his studies, getting drove back and forward from Strabane to Dublin. Eventually he decided to pursue his dream as a professional mixed martial artist. His parents were totally against this idea but the Northern-Irish man sold them a promise of dedication and focus that he will make a living from this sport. Gallagher went 3-0 as a pro before being snapped up by Bellator, one of the largest MMA promotions in the world and the UFC’s nearest rival.

At Bellator’s Madison Square Garden debut in June 2017, Gallagher had arguably his most impressive win of his career. The SBG prospect quickly dismantled Chinzo Machida the older brother of former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, now signed with Bellator.

Despite this huge win and holding an impressive unbeaten professional MMA record at the age of 21, the path to victory became very bumpy from here on out.

In October of 2017 Gallagher suffered LCL and PCL injuries to his knee which kept him from main-eventing Bellator 187 in Dublin on 10th November against Jeremiah Labiano. This was a huge blow for the career of the hugely popular Irish MMA star and would have been his first main-event of his career. To add to this blow fierce rival AJ McKee took his place and defeated Gallagher’s Team SBG opponent Brian Moore via RNC.

After recovering from his devastating knee injury, a hand injury then ruled the man from Strabane out of his Bellator 196 meeting with Hungarian prospect Adam Borics in April of this year. Then when the rehab programme for his hand was completed, he suffered a deep cut under his eye during sparring and had to get stitches setting him back another few weeks. The comeback was put on hold not once, twice but three times.

Gallagher has dropped down from Featherweight to Bantamweight and will make his debut in the 135-pound division in South Dakota on Friday night against newly signed Ricky Bandejas (10-1). Bandejas was the former CFFC (Cage Fury Fighting Championships) Bantamweight champion and will provide a tough match-up for ‘The Strabanimal’ and coach John Kavanagh to face. If the Irishman can overcome the debutant there is a strong possibility he will receive a crack at Darrion Caldwell’s Bantamweight title, who also fights on the same night. Expect a war of words between the two.