Connect with us

PFL/Bellator

James Gallagher to face Jeremy Kennedy as ‘The Jimmy Show’ returns at Bellator 302

One of Ireland’s biggest MMA stars is back, and he’s targeting glory in a new weight class.
Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA

Former Bellator bantamweight contender James Gallagher will make his long-awaited return to action in Belfast at Bellator 302 as he bids to kickstart a new chapter in his career.

Gallagher will return to action against in-form featherweight contender Jeremy Kennedy at the SSE Arena on March 22 in a bout that could determine the next challenger for the Bellator 145-pound title. The bout was originally reported by Severe MMA.

Gallagher will be keen to rebuild his momentum after injury and bout postponements restricted him to just two fights in the last three years.

After fighting three times in 2019, Gallagher only appeared once in 2020, with his thrice-booked bout with Cal Ellenor finally taking place in October that year. A planned matchup with Patchy Mix in May 2021 then fell through, and eventually took place at Bellator 270 in November, with Mix winning the bout via third-round guillotine choke.

Mix then went on to compete in Bellator’s bantamweight Grand Prix and ran the table, defeating Kyoji Horiguchi, Magomed Magomedov, Raufeon Stots and Sergio Pettis to capture the tournament crown and the undisputed bantamweight title.

By contrast, over the time timeframe Gallagher saw a trio of planned matchups fall by the wayside through 2022 and 2023 as his plans to bounce back from that loss were scuppered on each occasion.

Gallagher eventually returned in August 2023, at featherweight, and claimed a split-decision win over James Gonzalez to get back in the win column at Bellator 298. Now he’s looking to advance his stock at 145 pounds, and he’ll take on Canadian contender Jeremy Kennedy on March 22 with his sights set on a shot at the featherweight title.

Kennedy, who was ranked third at 145 pounds prior to Bellator’s acquisition by PFL, is riding a three-fight win streak, with victories over Emmanuel Sanchez, Aaron Pico and Pedro Carvalho.

Bellator 302: Reported fights

  • Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore – for vacant light heavyweight title
  • Leah McCourt vs. Sinead Kavanagh
  • Fabian Edwards vs. Aaron Jeffery
  • James Gallagher vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Related Topics

A sports editor and MMA reporter with 25 years' experience in sports media, Simon has covered mixed martial arts since 2009 for a host of national and international outlets, including UFC, BBC Sport, MMA Junkie/USA Today, BT Sport and the Daily Mirror.

More in PFL/Bellator