James Gallagher believes that suffering a first-round loss to Ricky Bandejas—the first defeat of the Irish prospect’s career—has ultimately helped him to become a better fighter.
“The Strabanimal” will take on Steven Graham in the main event of Bellator 218 in Dublin, Ireland on Feb. 23 and explained how his first professional loss has ushered in a change of mindset ahead of his headline bow in the Irish capital.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s changed my mindset on the reasons why I want to [fight]. When I say it’s changed my mindset, it’s made me want to do it even more,” Gallagher told Eurobash.