Bellator's Cris Lencioni reportedly in coma ahead of James Gallagher bout

Bellator MMA fighter Cris Lencioni is reportedly in a coma ahead of his much-awaited fight against James Gallagher. Lencioni and Gallagher were scheduled to clash in a featherweight bout at Bellator 298.

The Bellator 298 event is set to take place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA, on August 11th, 2023. The Cris Lencioni vs. James Gallagher matchup was expected to be featured as the headlining fight of the Bellator 298 preliminary card.

As reported by Amy Kaplan of FanSided MMA, Bellator fighter Lencioni suffered a medical emergency yesterday. The 28-year-old reportedly collapsed in the gym. In a tweet posted by Kaplan, the MMA journalist addressed the reported Cris Lencioni collapse.

In the tweet, Amy Kaplan suggested that, as per a family source, Lencioni is in a coma. Additionally, Kaplan noted that according to a gym source, Lencioni simply needed fluids and isn't in a coma. Kaplan's tweet read as follows:

"BREAKING: I am hearing that Cris Lencioni suffered a medical emergency after collapsing in the gym yesterday. A family source says he's in a coma, but a gym source says he just needed fluids, no coma. Cris is scheduled to fight James Gallagher on Aug. 11"

---

The Cris Lencioni medical emergency casts uncertainty over Bellator 298 fight against James Gallagher

As noted, the scheduled matchup between American MMA stalwart Lencioni and Irish MMA star Gallagher was booked to transpire at Bellator 298 on August 11th, 2023. The highly-anticipated featherweight bout would've set the stage for its winner to be catapulted into a more high-profile matchup next.

Lencioni's most recent MMA bout witnessed him defeat Blake Smith via second-round submission in April 2023. Meanwhile, Gallagher's last MMA contest saw him suffer a third-round submission defeat against Patrick Mix in November 2021.

Lencioni's professional MMA record is that of 11 victories and 3 defeats. On the other hand, Gallagher boasts a professional MMA record of 11 wins and 2 losses. While Lencioni is a rising star in his own right, the 26-year-old Gallagher has been touted by many as the next big superstar to come out of Ireland.

Despite having suffered a few setbacks in their respective MMA careers, both young fighters have been relentlessly making their way up the Bellator MMA food chain. On that note, their upcoming fight was being viewed as a great opportunity for them to prove their mettle and move one step closer to a title shot.

However, as of this time, it's unclear whether their fight will go ahead on the planned date after the reported Cris Lencioni medical emergency. Fans can expect additional updates regarding the matchup in the days to come.