Tag: James Gallagher

Conor McGregor encourages James Gallagher after Bellator 270 loss: ‘You need that experience’

Conor McGregor gives James Gallagher words of encouragement following his loss at Bellator 270.

Win or lose, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] has [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag]’s back.

McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, offered Gallagher (11-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) some words of encouragement moments after his defeat Friday at Bellator 270 in Dublin. Gallagher was submitted by Patchy Mix in the third round of their the co-main event clash. It was an evenly contested bout all the way to the finish.

After fight was over, McGregor immediately got on Twitter Voice to congratulate Gallagher on his performance and to tell him not to put too much stock in the result.

“Jimmy boy, that was some f*cking show, mate,” McGregor said. “What a crowd. That was like me and Brandao that crowd. That kid is only 23, 24 years of age, and he’s selling out a stadium like that. Guillotine and what? Fresh as a daisy.

“Let that right hook go. Bomb that right hook, f*ck that right kick, f*ck that right kick. Dig down on his body kick, take his ribs … and bang that right hook. ‘Oh, he got caught with a guilly.’ So what? Who gives a f*ck? Not a scratch on that kid. Not a scratch.

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“You need that experience. That experience is worth more than any amount of money you’re going to make in your entire career. And trust me, bro, don’t let that crowd reaction … I’m looking at, ‘Free from desire. Free from desire.’ What a show. What a f*cking show. You’re an animal, bro. You need that experience, you need to jump for that guilly, you have your head pop out, you need to be against the fence. You need that experience. You’re only a bambino. You’re a bambino on the way. … Yup, the ‘Strabanimal’!”

McGregor, 33, and Gallagher, 25, were long-time teammates who trained at SBG Ireland. Gallagher recently moved to the U.S. where he’s now training under James Kraus at Glory MMA & Fitness.

The loss to Mix marks Gallagher’s second professional defeat. He was on a four-fight wining streak prior to the defeat.

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Bellator 270 results: Patchy Mix submits James Gallagher in battle of guillotines

Patchy Mix picked up the biggest win of his career in front of a raucous Dublin crowd that favored James Gallagher.

Bellator commentator John McCarthy summed up [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] vs. [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] best: It was a “battle of the guillotine attacks.” And in the end, Mix won out.

Mix overcame his opponent and a deafening home crowd that favored Gallagher to submit the SBG Ireland product 39 seconds into the third round of their Bellator 270 co-main event Friday at 3Arena in Dublin.

The tone was set in the early going of Round 1 when Gallegher got deep on a double leg but found himself in trouble thanks to a standing guillotine counter from Mix. Gallagher, who likely wanted to slam his opponent, showed patience in getting his neck free before taking the action to the mat. The action slowed down on the mat until some separation by Mix, and Gallagher sunk in a guillotine attempt of his own. Mix quickly got free, though, and was in top position with roughly three minutes remaining. The action stalled again, and with 90 seconds remaining, they got back to their feet, with Gallagher finding some striking success. Gallagher secured one last takedown in the final 15 seconds, but Mix reversed the position to end the close round in top position.

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Gallagher opened with a kick-heavy attack in Round 2 and landed a groin shot in the first 30 seconds. After Mix recovered during a short break, both men showed a willingness to stand and trade until Mix closed the distance with a clinch. Gallagher again went for a guillotine, which appeared tight briefly, but Mix freed his head with three minutes remaining and found himself in top position near the fence. Mix held control but didn’t do much more than land soft punches to the body as Gallagher couldn’t figure a way out. In the final 30 seconds, Mix advanced to a crucifix position and landed some punches to close the round.

Perhaps feeling like he was down two rounds, Gallagher wasted no time pushing the action on the feet. When he shot in for a takedown, Mix stuffed it and immediately went for another guillotine. This time he jumped it, and it appeared tight. The position immediately got worse for Gallagher, who had no choice but to tap out once Mix rolled over on top of him.

The victory brings some closure to a rivalry that developed after two prior cancellations between the rising 145-pound contenders. Mix, who missed weight by two pounds for the bout, won his second straight while snapping Gallagher’s winning streak at four.

  • Patchy Mix def. James Gallagher via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 0:39
  • Pedro Carvalho def. Daniel Weichel via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Ilias Bulaid def. Georges Sasu via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Ciaran Clarke def. Jordan Barton via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:11
  • Daniele Scatizzi def. Brian Hooi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Lee Chadwick def. Arunas Andriuskevicus via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Gokhan Saricam def. Charlie Milner via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:15
  • Nicolo Solli def. Bobby Pallett via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Danni Neilan def. Audrey Kerouche via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:58
  • Yusuf Nazokatov def. Stephen Costello via submission (heel hook) – Round 2, 2:24

‘Bellator 270: Gallagher vs. Mix’ official for Nov. 5 in Dublin, adds ‘Pitbull’ vs. Queally rematch

As expected, bantamweight contenders James Gallagher and Patchy Mix will face off in Ireland, with the two set to headline Bellator 270.

As expected, bantamweight contenders [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] will face off in Ireland.

Promotion officials today announced the two will headline Bellator 270 on Nov. 5 at Dublin’s 3Arena. MMA Junkie previously reported the planned matchup.

Additionally, the card features a key lightweight rematch between top contenders [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 14-8 BMMA) and [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-5-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), whose first fight ended via doctor’s stoppage due to a cut.

Bellator has not held a show in Ireland since February 2020.

The first scheduled booking between the Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) and Mix (14-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) was supposed to take place at Bellator 258 in May. However, Gallagher withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Mix instead faced UFC alum Albert Morales, whom he defeated via third-round submission.

After his win, Mix revealed that bad blood between him and Gallagher continued from the time of the cancellation until after the fight. Mix claimed Gallagher sent harassing direct messages on social media and mean-mugged him while at the event cornering his teammate Queally.

Gallagher, 24, rides a four-fight winning streak into the fight. Nine of his 11 wins have come via finish. He most recently competed in October when he submitted Cal Ellenor.

Meanwhile, Mix has won three of his four fights in Bellator including a 66-second submission of Ricky Bandejas. Eleven of Mix’s 14 wins have come inside the distance. His only career loss was a closely-contested decision loss to then-title holder Juan Archuleta in 2020.

More on this in a moment.

The Bellator 270 lineup currently includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 5 p.m. ET)

  • James Gallagher vs. Patchy Mix
  • Patricky Freire vs. Peter Queally

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1:30 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Brian Hooi[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniele Scatizzi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jordan Barton[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ciaran Clarke[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Audrey Kerouche[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danni Neilan[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Darragh Kelly[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Junior Morgan[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Stephen Costello[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yusuf Nazokatov[/autotag]

James Gallagher admits he fought ‘hand-picked opponents’ but is ready for next level vs. Patchy Mix

James Gallagher is aware his opposition hasn’t been the toughest, but his journey to the top starts now.

LOS ANGELES – [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] is aware his opposition hasn’t been the toughest, but his journey to the top starts now.

Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) has received plenty of criticism for the level of competition he’s fought throughout his career, and while the brash Irishman thinks it’s some of it is warranted, he explained why it was necessary.

“They’re right: I have had hand-picked opponents,” Gallagher told MMA Junkie. “I have had easy fights, and I’ve had tough ones. But I’ve also had easy ones. That’s what I’m going to show, and in 10 years time, I’m going to show that, yeah, you can go and you can fight – why would I fight someone who’s the best in the f*cking sport when I’m only a beginning pro? No, I’ll fight someone who’s a little bit above me, who’s going to give me a good test in certain areas, and I’ll grow.

“It’s absolutely stupid. Why would I do that? But now I’m not. Now I’m at the top. Whoever the f*ck wants it is going to get it. Yeah, when I was 19, 20 – I signed with Bellator at 18 years old. When I was a featherweight then, I’m going to go and fight Patricio ‘Pitbull’ (Freire), as a kid? No, not at all. He’s a man. It doesn’t work like that. Build up, grow your skills, develop as yourself, and maybe back then I would have been like, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight him – I’ll fight anyone.’  But then as you go up you’re like, ‘Nah, it’s not like that. You probably weren’t ready.’ And that’s why I didn’t get to fight him.”

After amassing a four-fight winning streak, Gallagher will face his sternest test to date when he meets [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] on Nov. 5, which is tentatively booked in his home country of Ireland.

Gallagher, who’s been spending time training with James Krause at Glory MMA, is primed to prove the doubters wrong when he faces Mix (14-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). He views it as a No. 1 contender fight and has his eyes firmly set on Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis.

“Now I’m 24 – my skills are developed,” Gallagher said. “I think I’ve got 12 fights now as a professional, got 20 amateur fights or whatever. I’m open now. Let’s f*cking go. Whoever the f*ck wants it is going to get it. It’s Patchy, then it’s Sergio, and that’s it.

“The image of my developing, of becoming a whole martial artist, and it’s going to show my maturity, my skill set development, my strength, my mindset. Everything is going to show in there that night – and tune in and see.”

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Bellator zoning in on James Gallagher vs. Patchy Mix grudge match in Ireland

The two bantamweight fighters do not like one another, stemming from a booking that fell through earlier this year.

As the world heals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions loosen, Bellator begins to plot its return to the international scene.

After a scheduled May booking fell through, bantamweight rivals [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] are being lined up again – only this time the fight is being finalized for Nov. 5 on Irish soil.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking and targeted event location but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

It is unclear if the bout will headline the card, or serve as the co-main event. No further details were readily available as to where exactly in Ireland the promotion hopes to hold the event, though 3Arena Dublin has historically been it’s go-to. Bellator has not held a show in Ireland since February 2020.

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The first scheduled booking between the two 135-pound contenders was supposed to take place at Bellator 258 in May. However, Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Mix (14-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) instead faced UFC alum Albert Morales, whom he defeated via third-round submission.

After his win, Mix revealed that bad blood between him and Gallagher continued from the time of the cancellation until after the fight. Mix claimed Gallagher sent harassing direct messages on social media and mean-mugged him while at the event cornering his teammate Peter Queally.

Gallagher, 24, rides a four-fight winning streak into the fight. Nine of his 11 wins have come via finish. He most recently competed in October when he submitted Cal Ellenor.

Meanwhile, Mix has won three of his four fights in Bellator including a 66-second submission of Ricky Bandejas. Eleven of Mix’s 14 wins have come inside the distance. His only career loss was a closely-contested decision loss to then-title holder Juan Archuleta in 2020.

No other fights have surfaced for this card at this time.

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Bellator’s Patchy Mix reveals DMs sent by James Gallagher, wants to ‘highlight-reel’ him

Bellator bantamweight Patchy Mix doesn’t want to let Conor McGregor teammate James Gallagher off the hook.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] doesn’t want to let [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] off the hook.

Mix (14-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) was originally scheduled to face Gallagher at Bellator 258 this past Friday, but Gallagher withdrew due to a shoulder injury. Mix fought ex-UFC bantamweight Albert Morales instead and submitted him in the third round.

Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) was there to corner teammate Peter Queally in his upset win over Patricky Freire and made sure to make his presence felt. Mix said Gallagher raided his DMs and he revealed what the Irishman told him.

“Just basically saying he’s a higher-status fighter, that I want to be where he is, just talking a lot of bullsh*t about money – just real immature,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was like some high school sh*t, to be honest with you. He was just talking about a lot of sh*t that didn’t mean anything, and I was just talking facts.

“We were scheduled to fight. I’m not sure why he pulled out, but he wanted me to wait for the fight. He said, ‘Don’t fight on May 7, wait until June or July.’ And I told him prior to this, ‘I’m not waiting for no fight. I want to fight May 7 and then we’ll fight after that.’ But now that I’ve gotten through May 7, I haven’t heard a word out of him.”

Mix thinks it only makes sense for them to settle the score in a No. 1 contender bout. If not, he’d be happy to directly face newly crowned bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis.

“I think he was ranked (No.) 4 or 5 when we were matched. This is the fight to make,” Mix said. “We were already matched. He pulled out. There’s not a clear reason why he pulled out – he says because of injury. So if he’s not injured, the James Gallagher fight is the fight to be made. Me vs. him – I run right through him, and then I get a shot at Pettis.

“That would be my goal. If not, and Pettis needs to stay active, I’m next in line in the division. I’m ranked No. 2. I think it goes Pettis, Archuleta, then myself. So I’m right there. I’m not that far from the title shot, so I just want the fight that was originally booked because I really want to highlight-reel Gallagher out there.”

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Patchy Mix knew ‘pull-out merchant’ James Gallagher would withdraw from Bellator 258

Patchy Mix is not surprised that James Gallagher withdrew from their bout.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] is not surprised that [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] withdrew from their planned matchup.

Mix was scheduled to face Gallagher on Friday’s Bellator 258 card, but Gallagher was forced to pull out due to a torn shoulder. Gallagher wanted the fight postponed, but Mix was adamant on staying on the card, so the matchup fell apart.

It was a pivotal contest in the bantamweight division as both young prospects are vying for title contention, but Mix (13-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) thinks Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) purposely dodged him.

“James, no offense to him or to other people that have pulled out, but he’s a pull-out merchant,” Mix told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “He doesn’t know how to get to fights, and he’s pulled out of – I think between him and Cal (Ellenor), they have four pull-outs, and now this is going on another one, so he just pulls out of all the fights he thinks might be tough, so we’ll see.

“Very disappointing because he took the easy way out. He could have just went in there and rolled over and let me pound him and took the easy way out that way, but he didn’t even show up to the fight. News to me, I believe he’s showing up to the venue, so that’s kind of weird to me. He’s in Connecticut now, I believe, so he’s got a shoulder injury, but he’s not in a sling. It’s the craziest thing I ever heard.”

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With the change, Mix will now face ex-UFC fighter Albert Morales (10-6-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and thinks with a statement finish, he can secure another crack at the title, regardless. If not, then he’s happy to get the Gallagher fight rebooked.

“I’m looking to steal the show Friday night,” Mix said. “The whole card is full of bantamweights, and I feel like I’m the best finisher on his card. I’m going to go out there and finish in spectacular fashion. I’m going to show my level. I’m going to show my experience, and I’m going to steal this show. With me doing that, I believe that I could earn a shot back with my rematch. I want Juan Archuleta, he’s the only one to beat me, and much respect to him for that, but I want to erase that loss off my record. I want to get that win back, and if it’s not him and it happens to be Sergio (Pettis), much respect to Sergio.”

He continued, “The title shot is in my eyes, that’s my main goal. Not James Gallagher. Had those fights not worked, I want to reschedule the Gallagher fight, and I want to get him the opportunity that he wanted to earn his shot at the belt, as well, because he believes that if he goes through me, he can get the shot.”

Bellator takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena. The night’s main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

To hear the full interview with Mix, check out the video above.

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James Gallagher out of Bellator 258; Patchy Mix awaits new opponent

Patricky Freire vs. Peter Queally has moved to the main card.

Bellator 258 has taken a hit.

Rising Irish star [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] is out of his bantamweight fight against former title challenger [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] for undisclosed reasons. The fight was scheduled for the promotion’s May 7 main card.

A promotion official confirmed Friday to MMA Junkie the matchup had fallen through after Mix (13-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) alluded to needing a new opponent. The promotion is actively seeking a replacement.

As a result, a scheduled lightweight fight between [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] has been elevated to the main card.

“As expected the boy went f*cking running SMH,” Mix wrote on his personal Facebook page. “This (expletive) never wanted to be locked up in the cage w me,” he added.

Out of his last four scheduled fights, only one has gone through for Gallagher. Two fights (including this one) he withdrew from due to injury. A third was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Gallagher, 24, is on a four-fight winning streak dating back to his lone career loss to Ricky Bandejas in August 2018.

As for Mix, he most recently came up short in a vacant title challenge unanimous decision loss to Juan Archuleta at Bellator 246 in September. It was only the fourth time Mix went the distance as a professional. The other 10 fights, he ended inside the distance.

With the change the Bellator 258 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Juan Archuleta vs. Sergio Pettis – for bantamweight title
  • Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero – light heavyweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Derek Anderson vs. Michael Page
  • Patricky Freire vs. Peter Queally

PRELIMS (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Patchy Mix vs. TBA
  • Josh Hill vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Weber Almeida vs. Johnny Soto
  • Johnny Campbell vs. Henry Corrales
  • Johnny Eblen vs. Daniel Madrid
  • Bryce Logan vs. Alan Omer
  • Hannah Guy vs. Valerie Loureda

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James Gallagher vs. Patchy Mix booked for Bellator 258 on May 7

A key bantamweight bout has been added to Bellator 258.

A key bantamweight clash has been added to Bellator 258.

Former Bellator bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] is set to take on [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] at Bellator 258 on May 7. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with people with knowledge of the booking following an initial report by MMA DNA.

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Mix (13-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) most recently fought in September 2020 at Bellator 246, where he lost a unanimous decision to Juan Archuleta for the Bellator 135-pound title. The 27-year-old was undefeated entering the championship fight.

Gallagher (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) hasn’t competed since this past October. The Irish prospect fought in the main event of Bellator Europe 9 in Milan, Italy, and submitted Cal Ellenor with a rear-naked choke. The 24-year-old is on a four-fight winning streak since suffering his first professional defeat with a first-round knockout to Ricky Bandejas in 2018.

At Bellator 258, bantamweight champion Archuleta will defend his title for the first time against Sergio Pettis in the main event.

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Confident weight issue behind him, Bellator 249’s Leandro Higo sends message to James Gallagher

Leandro Higo says he’s sick of chasing James Gallagher.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] entered Bellator 249 on a mission to show he’s turned a career corner.

Thursday, he submitted Ricky Bandejas via rear-naked choke in Round 2 to top off a dominant performance. After the fight, Higo (20-5 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) discussed what he’s calling a successful start to his “alter ego.”

“I told you in the (pre-fight) interview this week – alter ego,” Higo said. “I’m happy for this good performance tonight. … I came in as a prospect. I fought the best. I had a big promise when I came in – that was to become a world champion. This division is on fire. Put me in the fire against anybody.”

If there was a blemish on Higo’s performance Thursday, it was his weight miss on the scales Wednesday. Higo came in three pounds over the bantamweight limit, which he attributes to his travel delays in getting to the fight.

“There were a couple of complications in the weight cut, which has to have perfection,” Higo said. “I was in the airport for about three days. So to come here and go into quarantine, there were some mistakes that were made that won’t be made again. That’s what happened. There were some obstacles that I had to overcome. It wasn’t ideal. For a big weight cut, I need an ideal situation. It’s not going to happen again. We’ll correct these mistakes and be ready for the next one.”

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Higo doesn’t think a title shot is out of the question, but if he fights again before he gets one, there’s a name that interests him. The rivalry between his team, Pitbull Brothers, and Team SBG Ireland was building prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With fights back and travel bans slowly being eased, Higo is interested in a fight against SBG Dublin’s [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag].

“I’ve been chasing this mother(expletive) ever since he’s coming into Bellator. If he’s really good at jiu-jitsu, you’ve seen my jiu-jitsu skills in my last two fights. Let’s go, James Gallagher.”

Bellator 249 took place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card aired on CBS Sports Network after prelims on CBSsports.com.

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