SBG Ireland’s James Gallagher Suffered a First Round KO Loss… And it Was Absolutely Devastating…
I really hope that James Gallagher invested in a decent gumshield because he took a horrible kick to the mouth in his fight against Ricky Bandejas. Gallagher was fighting on the main card at Bellator 204, after a 14-month layoff, and was making his debut at bantamweight.
Let’s just say it didn’t go to plan. Since signing for the fast-rising Bellator, Gallagher has been touted as an elite prospect. Only 21 years old, he’s been criticised for his arrogance and for acting too much like his teammate Conor McGregor, probably the most successful MMA fighter of all time.
Gallagher was extremely vocal in the run-up to this fight and arguably underestimated Bandejas, because he was openly calling out Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell. Bandejas’s reaction after achieving a brutal statement finish showed just how much these two men dislike each other.
GRAN NOCAUT#BellatorxFOX | Ricky Bandejas acomodó a Gallagher con un highkick y después terminó el combate en el suelo. pic.twitter.com/SnQtg1cYt4
— ESPN Argentina (@ESPNArgentina) August 18, 2018
Vicious
This was an extraordinarily vicious knockout. Bandejas rocked the ‘Strabanimal’ with a very nasty right hand, that planted the Irish fighter on his backside. Gallagher desperately scrambled to his feet but was visibly shaken.
He backed up towards the fence and dropped his hands. Bandejas smashed him in the mouth with a rasping step-in sidekick. Gallagher went to the ground and was immediately set upon, and was heavily pounded by hammer fists and punches. It’s one of the most unpleasant finishes of the year so far.
No Love Lost
As can be seen from the way Bandejas emotionally reacted to his win, these two men really dislike each other. Gallagher proved after the fight that despite suffering the first major setback of his career, his spirit hasn’t been crushed. In a lengthy Instagram statement he said:
“He caught me I got beat fair a square. I’m 21 years old I’m still a f***ing animal I will be back!! I love this game. It’s what I do. I’m down but not broke he caught me lucky I got clipped I went In on my Shield I’ll go out on it. I’m an animal. Fair play to him the whole game knows him now. Let’s go again. I’m coming back! Thank you everyone for all the support.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmhCyfEgrAs/?taken-by=strabanimalmma
Haters Gonna Hate
He also addressed the fact that some people will relish his failure. Gallagher continued:
“To everyone glad f**k you haha just got paid your years salary for doing something I love. I put my money where my mouth is! Thanks for the support I’ll be back December. There’s no one who has done what I have at 21 years old. I’m still that cocky mother f***er I am when I win and I’m still that cocky mother f***er when I loose. Thank you to everyone whose behind me”
Give me a dose of that confidence…
