Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Bellator bantamweight Leandro Higo is looking to take on a couple fighters out of SBG Ireland, specifically James Gallagher and Brian Moore.
Bellator bantamweight contender Leandro Higo has a score to settle.
Despite his upcoming bout against Ricky Bandejas at Bellator 249, the Brazilian has a couple long-time rivals that he’d still like to meet inside the cage: SBG Ireland’s James Gallagher and Brian Moore.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow, Higo explained how both men have been needling him and his team, Pitbull Brothers, for far too long without backing it up. Should he beat Bandejas, Higo is hoping for a chance to settle the score once for and for all. And he’s especially got his eye on Gallagher, who Higo calls the biggest talker of the pair.
“I was expected to fight on that card. I wanted James Gallagher, because he talks too much. But he he only calls out names he knows Bellator won’t match him up with. We mentioned Brian Moore’s name. We even signed a contract, we were going to fight in Italy. But that didn’t work because of the whole coronavirus situation. Then Bellator gave him another opponent and I got Ricky Bandejas.”
“I am interested in fighting someone from SBG, yes.” Higo continued. “Brian Moore and James Gallagher have been talking for years. Unlike James who is all talk, at least Brian was brave enough to sign the contract. I do want to beat up James more, though. He’s been asking for the belt as if he’s above everyone else. But, he doesn’t believe in what he says. If he did, he wouldn’t be ducking me for so long.”
Along with his desire to silence Gallagher and Moore, there is another opponent the Brazilian would very much like to take on: former UFC contender Sergio Pettis. In fact, Higo says he personally asked Bellator for that fight when Sergio first joined the promotion.
“Bellator made it clear he is the next in line for the belt. When I defeated Shawn Bunch, I personally asked Scott Coker and Mike Kogan to welcome Sergio Pettis. I really want to fight him. I was Henry Cejudo’s sparring partner for both of his camps against Pettis. In the first one Cejudo got injured. The next one, the fight happened and Cejudo dominated him. I know Sergio’s game pretty well and I think it’s a good match-up for me.”
In his last outing, Leandro Higo (19-5) submitted Shanwn Bunch via guillotine choke, back in September 2019. The victory snapped a two-fight losing skid for the 31-year-old, who suffered a TKO loss to Aaron Pico and a submission one to Darrion Caldwell before that.
Higo vs. Bandejas goes down on the undercard of Bellator 249, in Uncasville, Connecticut, this coming October 15th. The event is scheduled to be headlined by a women’s featherweight title fight between champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino, and challenger Arlene Blencowe.