James Gallagher open to Bellator featherweight tournament for ‘the right deal’

Although James Gallagher has every intention of staying at bantamweight for the foreseeable future, he admitted that “the right deal” could see him compete in a Bellator featherweight tournament.

“The Strabanimal” makes his second walk as a bantamweight this weekend when he clashes with Steven Graham in the main event of Bellator 217.

At last week’s Bellator 215 and Bellator 216 media day, Bellator president Scott Coker told MMA Fighting’s Danny Segura that the next tournament the promotion hosts could be based around the 145-pound bracket. Coker specifically named champion Patricio Freire, A.J. McKee, Aaron Pico, bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell and Gallagher when considering the potential bracket.

With a million dollars on the line for the winner of the promotion’s welterweight tournament that is currently taking place, the SBG fighter admitted that he could be convinced to go back up to the heavier category.

“Does a million quid make sense?” replied Gallagher when asked if the featherweight tournament would make sense to him on the latest episode of Eurobash. “If it makes money it makes sense…if it makes money it makes sense and we will see if I’m going to be making money. [If I am] then it’s going to make sense to me.”

Gallagher underlined that it would have to be a lucrative offer for him to consider moving back up to the weight class.

“I can fight in that weight class, but I’m happy where I am. I’m not in any rush to move back up and I’m not in any rush to do anything different, but if I get the right deal and it’s right for me, then I’m going to do what’s right for me.”

“You don’t get a pizza with no pizza on top, do you?” he asked in jest. “If they’re willing to sprinkle some cheese on my pizza, well then I’m going to f*ckin’ eat it!”

Check out the latest episode of Eurobash. The James Gallagher interview begins at 50:00.