Conor McGregor's disciple admitted reason for declining to fight minutes before clash

James Gallagher stunned fans by declining to fight minutes before a scheduled bout

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James Gallagher, a protege of Conor McGregor, has finally spoken out after his sudden cancellation of his MMA comeback just moments before the scheduled fight. Gallagher, 29, had a meteoric rise in his career following his professional debut in 2015 and was predicted to eventually clinch a world championship title.

Two years post his first bout, the 'Strabanimal' made a global impact when he triumphed over Chinzo Machida, the younger sibling of MMA legend Lyoto Machida. The Irish sensation gained popularity while training with McGregor at SBG Ireland, undoubtedly picking up valuable lessons from the former UFC dual-weight champion.

Despite only having five fights in five years, Gallagher was looking forward to a busy 2025 after his victory over Fabrício Soares earlier this year. He was set to compete last Thursday at ACA 194 against Ali AlQaisi - but the bout never happened.

AlQaisi entered the cage and informed the audience that the fight was cancelled due to Gallagher's dissatisfaction with the backstage conditions. Now, just days after the shocking turn of events, Gallagher has given his side of the story.

The 'Strabanimal' appeared ready to compromise and fight, but negotiations with the promotion fell through. Gallagher's team ultimately withdrew him from the event.

Speaking on the Energized Show, the former Bellator star shared his perspective: "We just want to warm up, go and fight, and be on our way. So, as that's happening, one of the main guys comes up and shouts in my teammate's face like, 'What's the problem? I'm this close,' insinuating that he was going to fight with one of my teammates.

"After that, the team just decided, and they were messaging my coach back home as well, they were like, 'Listen James, you're not fighting. This is not happening. They've f***** you around all day. They f***** you around all day Yesterday and it just cannot happen like this.'"

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Despite the tumultuous events, Gallagher admits he spoke with ACA officials the next day and hopes to compete in a Russian event later this year.

He added: "I did have a meeting with them the next day with the vice president of ACA, who are very respectful people, who understood what I was saying and apologized to it and I also apologized to them for not fighting.

"We were at a mutual understanding. They reassured me that this is not how ACA is, it was just one of those things that happened and that we hope we can book the fight in Russia on December 5."