James Gallagher vs. Chinzo Machida set for Bellator 180

[Edge Guerrero]

by Shaun Al-Shatti @shaunalshatti Mar 27, 2017

Another Irishman is heading to Madison Square Garden.

A featherweight tilt pitting undefeated up-and-comer James Gallagher against Chinzo Machida has been slated for the Spike TV televised portion of Bellator 180’s card.

Bellator president Scott Coker announced the match-up during an in-studio appearance on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.

Gallagher (6-0) is a 20-year-old prospect and teammate of UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s at SBG Ireland. Nicknamed “The Strabanimal,” Gallagher has picked up a trio of consecutive victories inside the Bellator cage, defeating Mike Cutting via unanimous decision, then submitting Anthony Taylor and Kirill Medvedovsky.

He’ll now look to preserve that unbeaten record against Machida (5-2), the 40-year-old older brother of former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. The elder Machida began his MMA career in 2005, but only in recent years has he competed regularly. Machida is thus far a perfect 2-0 in Bellator, scoring back-to-back KO/TKO wins over Mario Navarro and Jamar Ocampo.

Bellator 180 takes place June 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The undercard is set to air on Spike TV, while the main card will air on pay-per-view. A grudge match between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva is slated to headline the event.

Source http://www.mmafighting.com/2017/3/27/15078792/james-gallagher-vs-chinzo-machida-set-for-bellator-180