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#2. No.7-Ranked Bellator bantamweight James Gallagher
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No.7-ranked Bellator bantamweight James Gallagher could be a realistic opponent if Kyoji Horiguchi decides to take time off. Gallagher is recovering from an injury which forced him to withdraw from the Grand Prix.
‘The Strabanimal’ has become a homegrown star for the promotion. He trains at SBG in Ireland, which is the same gym as Conor McGregor. The Irishman is a very confident fighter and doesn’t get discouraged after a loss. He has shown a lot of potential and proved he can hold his own with the top fighters in the division.
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Like ‘The Typhoon', Gallagher is coming off a loss to Patchy Mix. The bout took place this past November in Dublin, Ireland. The crowd was fully behind their countryman, but he was submitted in the third round. With the promotion returning to Dublin in September, perhaps that could be another headliner if ‘The Strabanimal’ is cleared by then.
#1. Former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta
Based on the rankings and accomplishments, Juan Archuleta vs. Kyoji Horiguchi should be the fight to book next. Both fighters are former bantamweight champions and were eliminated in the opening round of the Grand Prix.
‘The Typhoon’ and ‘The Spaniard’ also need a big win as they both have back-to-back losses. It could add motivation as a win would snap their losing skid. The promotion will head into the semifinals of the Grand Prix during the summer months. With that in mind, a bout featuring two former bantamweight champions would add much-needed depth and bolster the card.
Another possibility for the promotion could be booking the bout to headline an event in Japan. Scott Coker has mentioned that he’d like to return to Japan. As such, it would be logical to feature their biggest Japanese star in a significant bout. If the event were to be a cross-promotion with RIZIN, ‘The Typhoon’ could defend his title as well.
