Draft:James Gallagher (fighter)

{{Infobox martial artist

| name = James Gallagher

| other_names = The Strabanimal

| birth_name = James Gallagher

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|10|24}}

| birth_place = Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

| nationality = Irish

| height = {{convert|5|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|135|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

| weight_class = Bantamweight

| reach = {{convert|66|in|cm|abbr=on}}

| stance = Southpaw

| team = SBG Ireland

| years_active = 2015–present

| mma_kowin = 1

| mma_subwin = 9

| mma_decwin = 2

| mma_koloss = 2

| mma_subloss = 1

| sherdog = 170621

}}

James Gallagher (born 24 October 1996) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division. He is best known for his time in Bellator MMA, where he gained recognition for his submission grappling skills and confident personality. A native of Strabane, Northern Ireland, Gallagher trains at SBG Ireland under coach John Kavanagh.

Early life

Gallagher was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He began training in martial arts at a young age and gravitated toward mixed martial arts in his early teens. Influenced by the rise of Irish MMA and Conor McGregor, he joined SBG Ireland in Dublin to pursue MMA full-time.{{cite news|title=James Gallagher: The Strabanimal rising in Bellator|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/james-gallagher-the-strabanimal-on-the-rise-in-bellator-1.XXXXX|access-date=2025-07-11}}

Mixed martial arts career

=Early career=

Gallagher began his professional career in 2015, quickly securing a number of first-round submission wins on the European MMA scene. His undefeated start caught the attention of Bellator MMA, and he signed with the promotion in 2016.

=Bellator MMA=

Gallagher made his promotional debut at Bellator 158 in July 2016, defeating Mike Cutting by unanimous decision. He followed this with a string of victories, including a notable first-round submission win over Chinzo Machida at Bellator 180 in New York City.{{cite web|url=https://www.bellator.com/fighter/176|title=James Gallagher Bellator Profile|access-date=2025-07-11}}

Gallagher suffered his first professional loss against Ricky Bandejas at Bellator 204, where he was knocked out in the first round. Despite the setback, he rebounded with multiple wins, including submissions over Steven Graham and Cal Ellenor.

He returned to the cage at Bellator 270 in November 2021 but lost via guillotine choke to Patchy Mix. Gallagher has expressed plans to continue developing his all-around game to return to title contention.

Fighting style

Gallagher is a grappling-focused fighter with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The majority of his victories have come by submission, most often by rear-naked choke or guillotine choke. He fights from a southpaw stance and often pressures early to bring opponents to the ground.

Personal life

Gallagher has been open about his struggles with anxiety and mental health, using his platform to speak about the pressures of professional fighting.{{cite web|title=James Gallagher on mental health in MMA|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/mma/XXXXXXX|access-date=2025-07-11}} He is known by the nickname "The Strabanimal" and remains based in Ireland.

References

External links

[https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/James-Gallagher-170621 James Gallagher] at Sherdog
[https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/53891-james-gallagher James Gallagher] at Tapology
[https://www.bellator.com/fighter/176 James Gallagher] at Bellator