James Gallagher Disappointed In Bellator 158 Performance

In an interview with MMA Junkie, James Gallagher (4-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) spoke about his win over Mike Cutting (6-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at Bellator 158 and mentioned that he was disappointed in his performance. Here are highlights:

On how the fight went: “I came out to try and finish him but felt like at the start I got him down – I think he threw a kick and I caught it and got him down and then got his back. I tried to get the choke, but I’ve never felt someone with that strong of a grip in my life before, and he managed to rip it off. I tried to open up with shots and just trying to stay patient and get the choke but it didn’t work out for me. I’m honestly not happy with my performance. I’m happy I got the win, but I feel like it was a quarter of my ability that I performed at. I’m just going to get back to the gym. I’m only 19 years old, and fighting on the biggest stage in the world. I’m going to get back to the gym, work hard and get better each time.”

On recent struggles in his personal life: “I’ve just been through a lot these past few months, personally and stuff. Especially these past three or four months, it’s been a lot. I’ve been pushing it back and pushing through and getting the work. I got here and got the win and I feel like I’ve just beat myself. It’s an achievement to just beat myself, let alone beat someone else. I’m way better than I showed tonight but I’m happy I got the win.”