Bellator Championship Series: Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore kicks off the main card with a fight between James Gallagher and Leandro Higo in the featherweight division. Gallagher was able to bounce back after his second loss in his professional career with a hard-fought split decision victory meanwhile, Higo also got back into the win column in a big way with a second-round guillotine submission. With that said, check out our Bellator Championship Series odds for our Gallagher-Higo prediction and pick.

James Gallagher (12-2) came back after three-fight cancelations and almost two years on the sidelines to win a hard-fought decision over James Gonzalez back at Bellator 296 in August 2023. Now, Gallagher gets to finally get his chance at getting back on another winning streak when he takes on the dangerous Brazilian Leandro Higo who will make his Bellator featherweight debut this Friday night at the Bellator Championship Series.

Leandro Higo (22-6) has been a longtime Bellator bantamweight contender but he and his camp believe at this stage of his career it's time for him to move on up to the featherweight division. Luckily for him, waiting to welcome him to the division is another former bantamweight, James Gallagher. Higo will be looking to spoil the homecoming party for Gallagher and make his presence known in his new weight class this Friday night in Belfast, Ireland.

Here are the Bellator Championship Series Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

Bellator Championship Series: James Gallagher-Leandro Higo Odds

James Gallagher: +100

Leandro Higo: -120

Over 2.5 rounds: -165

Under 2.5 rounds: +135

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Why James Gallagher Will Win

This Friday, Belfast's SSE Arena is going to pop off as James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher, a local legend, returns to the Bellator octagon against Leandro “Pitbull” Higo. It's a battle of styles and Gallagher has all the momentum on his side.

Gallagher compiled nine straight wins before suffering some setbacks in 2019. He looked razor-sharp in his return last August and showed a new level of focus and maturity. His jabs are quick and unpredictable, adding another layer to his elite ground game that he has been developing for years. If he can survive Higo’s early takedown attempts and dangerous guillotine, Gallagher's pace and stamina will be too much for the Brazilian.

Even though Higo is an elite grappler, his moving up in weight class could be fatal for him. Dealing with Gallagher’s stronger wrestling attacks is risky business. If Higo doesn’t finish this fight quickly after taking it down to the ground, then it’s going to get very difficult once they’re back on their feet again.

The Irish crowd is going to be loud on Friday night. Their energy will give Gallagher that added push toward the end of this fight as he maintains his aggressive stance on the striking front. When he gets taken down by Higo, don't expect it to happen more than once, as Gallagher has slick grappling moves up his sleeve that will irritate Higo to no end.

Why Leandro Higo Will Win

Leandro Higo is a submission wizard with something to prove, and he’s not going to be bullied by anyone inside or outside of the cage.

Higo’s recent record isn’t much to write home about, but one look at his skill set should tell you all you need to know. The second this fight hits the mat, it’ll be like a shark who smells blood. Gallagher is slick on the ground, but Higo’s experience and command of positions will make any attempt at escaping feel futile for the Irishman.

Gallagher likes to dictate the pace, but Higo craves chaos. He's been put in bad spots countless times in his career, only to escape them all with military precision. On Friday night he'll do that against Gallagher before making him pay for even thinking he had a chance.

But it's not just Higo's style that favors an upset, it's also Gallagher’s hometown crowd. It can be tough enough fighting away from home as it is, add that pressure into the mix and you’ve got a good recipe for disaster.

Whenever Gallagher fumbles for even half a second, Higo will strike like lightning and never let go until the referee peels him off.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that “Pitbull” has developed some serious hands since we last saw him? If you thought he was dangerous when he was just slinging submissions, wait until you see what happens when those start opening up thanks to strikes.

As long as he can maintain his pace in his new weight class in the featherweight division he has the chance to get the win this Friday night and start to make his run towards a featherweight title shot.

Final James Gallagher-Leandro Higo Prediction & Pick

This should be a fantastic matchup to kick off the main card for the very first installment of the Bellator Championship Series. However, in this matchup, it would take something spectacular from Higo to win this match against Gallagher. Gallagher has grown mightily during his time with Bellator and has found his home in the featherweight division. His size, strength, and grappling should be able to dictate where this fight takes and he seems to have advantages wherever the fight takes place. A late submission or TKO should do it for Gallagher in this fan-favorite throwdown against Leandro Higo.

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Final James Gallagher-Leandro Higo Prediction & Pick: James Gallagher (+100), Over 2.5 Rounds (-165)