James Gallagher’s back injury questioned by Cal Ellenor after Bellator Dublin showdown was called off

CAL ELLENOR insists James Gallagher pulled out of their Bellator Dublin showdown because “he wasn’t ready” and should have “took his beating like a man”.

The two were set to go one-on-one at the 3 Arena on February 22 until the 23-year-old Irish star, who trains with Conor McGregor, was ruled out with a back injury last week.

That was the second time a Dublin meeting between “Strabanimal” and the “English Gangster” has been forced from a main event.

Ellenor was pulled from the first scheduled showdown in September 2019 when he failed to get medical clearance.

But that information turned out to be inaccurate and he was immediately cleared to return to the cage with the clash rescheduled for this month.

Now he has been left waiting again to get his hands on Gallagher, especially after watching videos of his foe driving around in his Mercedes.

And without another opponent ready to step in and face him in Ireland, the “Sunderland Strangler” still has his sights firmly set on shutting the mouth of Gallagher.

Bellator

Speaking to Fight & Talk, Ellenor said: “It’s going to work out even worse for James – he should have just took the beating he was going to get then and handle it like a man.

“I feel like he has pulled because he wasn’t ready.

“He said he had a bad back but if you see the day after he’s driving around in his Merc giving it big licks – he’s completely fine.

“He can say what he wants but he’s just prolonging what is going to happen.

“He is going to get it regardless of when it is and I’m looking forward to bashing him.”

Gallagher, with UFC mega-star McGregor watching from the front row, instead faced Roman Salazar as a last-minute opponent five months ago in front of his adoring public.

He took his record to 10-1 as he forced the American to tap out after just 35 seconds courtesy of a Guillotine Choke.

Leah McCourt will headline the upcoming Dublin event in a featherweight clash against Germany’s Judith Ruis.

You can watch the full Ellenor interview with Fight & Talk by clicking here.