At Bellator 285 this Friday night in Dublin, Welsh bantamweight Brett Johns had been expected to feature in a high-profile match-up with Ireland’s own James Gallagher.
That fight, however, won’t be happening. With Gallagher pulling out a month and a half before the fight, Johns instead will face the unheralded Jordan Winski — while hoping that the Gallagher match-up can be put back together down the road.
“I was super annoyed about it, you know?” Johns (18-3) told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview when asked about his reaction to Gallagher pulling out. “With how big the fight was, even in regards to sponsorships— I didn’t even need to open my mouth, that fight sold itself. It was a big fight. Unfortunately six weeks before the fight, he pulled out. At least we got a replacement.”
Johns went on to add that “the good thing with me is, regardless of who the fight’s against, when I sign the contract, I turn up to fight. I turn up on that day and I fight, regardless of who it is.”
Through “four scheduled bouts with Bellator,” Johns noted that “in three of them there’s been pullouts of some sort.” Still, he’s not sweating the unpredictable nature of the fight game. “It does happen, I don’t feel I’ve been unlucky with that side of things.”
Johns also believes the bout with Irish star Gallagher could still be on the table.
“That James Gallagher fight, it’s still in my sights,” Johns added in regards to the original match-up. “Obviously I’ve got to concentrate on Jordan Winski first. Jordan is a fight that I’m not overlooking, I know how good he is and I know how awkward he can be in his fights. We’ve got to get that win over him first, and then we’ll start screaming, crying, and kicking a fuss up about fighting James Gallagher next.”
Jordan “I’m Gonna” Winski may have the best nickname in combat sports, but he’s not exactly a household name. That having been said, Johns is not taking his lesser known opponent any more lightly than the original booking.
“I’ve watched a couple of his older fights, I haven’t really been able to see some of the newer fights,” Johns admitted. “He’s got a good record, he’s a tough guy. He’s fought some okay guys on the regional circuit.”
“I do feel like I’m that next step up a level,” Johns opined. “I think he’s going to come undone, and he’s going to struggle a little bit.” The Welsh star also feels as though he has the edge in all areas. “Striking, wrestling, grappling, you know. But having said that, I feel like he’s had fights in the past where he’s been fighting guys who spoke exactly the same as I’m speaking, but they struggled in their fight. So he’s not a fight that I’m taking lightly. He’s a super-tough guy, veteran of the game like myself. I know full well that it’s not going to be an easy night at the office, but we’re prepared for that.”
Brett Johns vs. Jordan Winski takes place this Friday, September 23, 2022 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
