There’s not much about 2016 that didn’t go well for featherweight prospect James Gallagher.
Though he had a couple fights cancelled, Gallagher managed to pick up three wins in 2016 and raise his winning streak to five straight victories to start off his pro MMA career.
“I had a few fights, racked up a few wins, and got signed to Bellator, so it was the biggest year of my career so far,” Gallagher told MMAWeekly.com. “I feel that 2017 is going to blow it out of the water and pass it.
“(My performances were) some good and some bad. I always take away the positives from it, and worked on the weaknesses. I worked what I felt went wrong and fixed them, and made what I was good at even better.”
Signing with Bellator not only provided a boost to Gallagher’s career, but it’s also given him a level of exposure he definitely feels in his native Ireland.
“I can’t walk around on the streets without somebody asking for a picture,” said Gallagher. “It’s great. I have great pride in that they have faith in me, and that they’re putting me in these events in my home country.”
Gallagher (5-0) will have his first fight of 2017 when he takes on Kirill Medvedovski (7-4) in a main card 145-pound bout at Bellator 173 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday.
“He’s a decent opponent,” Gallagher said of Medvedovski. “He’s got a good striking background, and has good Jiu-Jitsu, has fought some tough people, but I don’t feel he’s going to pose many threats to me.
“I feel like I’m going to be good everywhere for him, and I’m going to go in and cut him off and he’s going to realize there’s no escape for him while he’s in there.”
While he’s garnished some attention in the United States, Gallagher feels his immediate future lays in Great Britain, and from there he feels he’ll begin his journey towards title contention.
“I want on that (upcoming) London card, and then maybe the States,” said Gallagher. “It doesn’t matter where I fight, it’s a Gallagher show, and that’s all that matters.
“Titles are the only thing I want. I want to be known as the best there is, and you need titles to be known as the best. I’m looking forward to going out, getting that world title and bringing it back (to Ireland).”
