Outside Source
It appears that the career trajectory of former Bellator MMA featherweight contender James Gallagher has taken a bizarre turn.
Gallagher was scheduled to compete Thursday at ACA 194 against Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Ali AlQaisi, but the fight never took place.
Sean Sheehan reported that Gallagher’s fight had been cancelled, which was then followed up by AlQaisi addressing those in attendance and claiming that it was due to his displeasure with the backstage conditions.
This had been set to be the second scheduled fight of the year for Gallagher, who picked up a second-round submission victory over Fabricio Soares at 971 FC 2 in June. The last time Gallagher appeared at a major promotion was in 2024, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Leandro Higo at Bellator Champions Series, the first year in which Bellator fighters were competing under the Professional Fighters League umbrella.
The seemingly odd situation continues what has been a long and complex path for Gallagher, who has had more than his fair share of fight cancellations throughout his professional career. Having competed for Bellator MMA from 2016 to 2024, Gallagher would leave the promotion with a record of 9-3, never rising to the level of hype associated with his blue chip prospect reputation. Soon-to-be 29 years old, Gallagher had posted on Instagram this week that he was looking to put together the performance of a lifetime, yet instead did not compete at all.
A protege and SBG Ireland teammate of former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor, Gallagher appeared to be well on his way to becoming the next Irish MMA superstar, but instead has had to deal with his fair share of adversity through the years.
Gallagher has yet to comment on Thursday’s situation as of the time of this writing.
* Editor’s note: Sherdog contributor Mike Pendleton is a frequent guest on PFL executive Jonathan Coachman’s betting podcast “Coach and Company.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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