By Peter Carroll

James Gallagher has stood out from the field ever since he took his amateur first MMA fight at the age of 13. Two years later, he moved to Dublin to live with SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh and proved to be something of a prodigy as he saw his way through various adult divisions at jiu-jitsu competitions.

Gallagher’s star continued to shine as he made his way through the amateur ranks, where he collected an impressive 15-3 record. His objective was winning the IMMAF World Championships last summer, but after seeing off top American prospect Sam Agushi with a rear-naked choke in round three of their opening-round clash, he was forced out of the competition with an injury.

The road to Bellator

Since joining the professional ranks, "The Strabanimal" banked three first-round wins by rear-naked choke, and it wasn’t much of surprise that Bellator came knocking on the door for his signature two months ago given his polarizing popularity.

This week, it was announced that Gallagher will make his debut under the Bellator banner on July 16 in London against Britain’s Mike Cutting, despite the Irishman initially thinking his debut would take place in the United States.

“Last Monday, I found out that I was fighting on the London card,” Gallagher told FloCombat. “First, they told me that they want me for the American show in August. They wanted to put me on the main card. So, that night, I started to look to get my visa sorted and then John (Kavanagh) text me and told me that they wanted me on the London card. That suits me even better, I think.

"There should be a lot of people coming over to watch me fight. A few days after that, he told me I’d be on the London card, he came back and told me that Mike Cutting would be my opponent and that the fight would be on the main card. That was that."

'I'll fight anyone'

Gallagher has become one of the most sought-after names on the Irish scene in terms of other fighters looking to get matched with him. Every day, the 19-year-old’s social media posts are inundated with mixed martial artists having a pop at him. As Gallagher explained, sometimes his posts aren’t even related to fighting, but that doesn’t stop his peers from trying to provoke him.

“I think people are a bit brain-dead around here or something,” Gallagher said. “I’m an MMA fighter. I literally love to fight. I’ll fight anyone, but it’s not up to me who I’m matched with. I’ll get in there with anyone that Bellator want to put in front of me, but it’s not up to me who I fight.

“I don’t know why these people keep on coming at me the way they are, they should go and contact f***** Bellator instead of commenting on pictures of my dog or whatever it is. If they (Bellator) want to make that fight, they’ll make it. I’m gonna fight whoever they tell me to.”

No stranger to a bit of back and forth, recently Gallagher found himself in engaged in a war of words on Twitter with Bellator featherweight champ Daniel Straus and top contender Bubba Jenkins. Although both men seemed to laugh off his suggestion that he would be in the championship chase within a year, the SBG fighter is adamant he will prove his worth with Bellator.

“They look at me and they say, ‘He’s only a kid, he’s only 19, he’s only 3-0,’ but give me two or three fights, and I promise you that they won’t be saying that," Gallagher said. "They’re gonna know I’m coming for them. It’s not going to be long before I’m up there fighting them. They don’t realize what’s coming for them.

“They’re trying to downplay me. That’s a good thing. Let them underestimate me. I’m only a kid am I? Let’s see how much of kid I am when I’m wrapped around your neck! When I have them locked up in a rear naked choke, let them tell me that I’m just a kid then."

A jiu-jitsu battle

Cutting recently told SevereMMA.com that he believes his jiu-jitsu is on a “completely different level” than Gallagher’s, and because of that, the Irishman seems to be relishing the thought of hitting the mat with the 7-4 pro on July 16.

“I think Cutting is more of jiu-jitsu fighter, and that will suit me perfectly," Gallagher said. "I see that he did some interview where he said that if we hit the ground he would have the advantage. Luckily enough, we only have to wait until July 16th to see who has the better jiu-jitsu.”

Gallagher has always been praised for his grappling prowess, but after striking up a friendship with Irish Muay Thai champion Cian Cowley, he expects fans to see a completely different side to him when he performs at the 02 Arena in London.

“Working with guys like that, you can only improve,” he insisted. “Before and after sessions, we’re drilling shots and combinations. We’re getting to the stage now where I don’t even have to think about what I’m doing; it’s like muscle memory, it just happens.”