James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 Fight Has Been Scrapped

Bellator is home to some of the most exciting young prospects in MMA. That includes James Gallagher, a training partner of Conor McGregor and one of the top bantamweights in the promotion. Unfortunately, news has broken that James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 fight has been scrapped.

Many were looking forward to seeing Gallagher move one step closer to the bantamweight title. Today, we’ll talk about what has led to his removal from this fight. We’ll also take a look at what else is happening in Bellator’s 135-pound division.

Let’s get into it!

Bellator is Becoming the Top Promotion for Young MMA Prospects

The sport of MMA is growing around the world every single year. The United States remains the biggest market for the sport. Here, the world’s biggest promotions are currently based. That includes the UFC and Bellator.

Bellator MMA is quickly becoming the premier promotion for young, up-and-comers in the sport. There are a huge number of exciting prospects signed to this promotion. Many are now working their way toward a world title.

AJ McKee is widely considered one of the most exciting prospects in the weight class. He entered Bellator in 2015 and has gone 17-0 in the promotion. He’s now slated to compete for the featherweight title against Patricio Freire later this year. Different online sports betting sites have the odds close for this fight.

Fabian Edwards is also making a name for himself as one of the best prospects at 170 pounds. The brother of UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has gone 5-1 in the promotion thus far. He is taking on another huge prospect in Austin Vanderford on May 21.

Some believe James Gallagher is one of the most exciting young prospects in the promotion right now. He is 11-1 as a professional and has finished the majority of his wins via submission. He’s developing a large following and seems like a possible future champion.

Gallagher was expected to have one of the biggest fights of his career this May. Unfortunately, news has confirmed that he’s been removed from this bout.

James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 Fight is Scrapped

Bellator President Scott Coker has a talent for bringing young up-and-comers up in the sport. He’s used this strategy to create some of the best MMA fighters on the planet. Some feel that James Gallagher has the potential to become one of the top bantamweights in the future.

James was booked to compete against Patchy Mix on the main card of Bellator 258 this May. It was a huge fight for the Irishman and some felt would set him up for a shot at the title. News has now confirmed that James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 bout has been canceled.

“The Strabanimal” has been forced off this card for undisclosed reasons. It’s a tough blow for the 24-year-old. This was likely the biggest fight of his career and many were curious to see how he would stack up against a fighter with the experience of Patchy Mix.

There’s a good reason why so many felt this would be a tough test for Gallagher. Patchy Mix is currently 13-1 in his professional career. His only loss came against the current Bellator champion, Juan Archuleta.

Most fans are disappointed to hear that James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 fight is now off. It doesn’t mean he’ll be away from the sport for too long, though. Bellator is likely to rebook the young submission artist into a fight as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, Bellator’s bantamweight division will continue to move forward. The weight classe’s title will be on the line in just a few weeks!

Archuleta vs. Pettis is Less Than One Month Away

Bantamweight has always been one of the most exciting weight divisions in MMA. It’s here that fighters like Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt, and TJ Dillashaw are based. Bellator MMA is quickly developing a very stacked bantamweight division in its own right.

Juan Archuleta is now the Bellator champion at 135 pounds. He is 25-2 in his professional record and has some of the most relentless wrestling of any fighter in the division. On May 7, he’ll be looking to defend his title against Sergio Pettis at Bellator 258.

Many fans are well-aware of Pettis. The younger brother of former UFC champion Anthony Pettis has looked tremendous lately. He won his first two bouts in Bellator and many believe he has the striking skills to earn his first world title in this matchup.

This should be a fantastic clash of styles. Many major MMA media outlets now list Juan Archuleta as one of the best bantamweight fighters in the world. Sergio Pettis has fought against the best of the best during his career, though, and brings something different to the cage than Juan has seen.

James Gallagher’s Bellator 258 fight was meant to set up a fight with the winner of Archuleta vs. Pettis. This fight simply wasn’t meant to be. We’ll be sure to offer updates on Gallagher’s return as soon as we hear more.

Are you disappointed to see Gallagher removed from Bellator 258? Who should he be matched up with when he returns? Let us know in the comments section below.