Bellator 270’s James Gallagher Opens Up About Move to United States: “I Don’t Associate with Anyone that’s Not Chasing Greatness”

James Gallagher is coming home for this weekend’s Bellator 270 card in Dublin, Ireland.

Quite literally. Though well-known as a member of SBG Ireland alongside Conor McGregor, for the past year or so, “The StrabAnimal” has been developing under the watchful eye of James Krause at Glory MMA and Fitness in Kansas.

Both Krause and SBG Ireland coach John Kavanagh will be in the bantamweight’s corner when he takes on Patchy Mix this Friday.

Explaining the move during the Bellator 270 media day on Wednesday, Gallagher said that “I just needed that fresh set of eyes, fresh set of ideas, fresh approach, and just [to get] away from every kind of distraction.” In Kansas, he trains, heads home, chills out, studies, and gets ready to train again. “You don’t have family members coming in, you don’t got the next door neighbor popping in and just passing negativity on. It’s just a lot of stuff like that. I don’t associate with anyone that’s not chasing greatness, and that’s what I was doing here [in Ireland].”

While Krause and Kavanagh are similar, “it so comparable and but so different as well. I just needed, as you say, a fresh set of ideas and stuff like that. But John Kavanagh’s got me to a world-class level,” he noted— and Kavanagh will be in his corner Friday. “As Jay-Z said, what’s better than one billionaire? Two. So I’ve got, what’s better than one world-class coach? You may as well have two.”

Krause, however, will get the pole position so to speak. “James is my head coach. I live in America, I’m there permanently. I’m just here to fight, I’m flying out the next day again. 6AM flight the next morning. I’m just in here, and I’ll be in training again on Monday morning in Kansas City.”

During Bellator 270’s media day, opponent Patchy Mix questioned Gallagher’s level of competition to this point. “I don’t give a f*ck what Patchy thinks to be honest,” Gallagher said in response. And despite some back-and-forth in the media, the Irish bantamweight said the fight hasn’t become personal.

“Nah, not at all. Nothing is personal. I’m in here chasing greatness, and unfortunately for him, he just happens to be the man standing in my way.”

Watch the full Bellator 270 media day appearance from James Gallagher above. More coverage of the event can be found below. Bellator 270 takes place Friday, November 5 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.