UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Despite missing weight again, Leandro Higo thinks he’s earned a bantamweight title shot.
Higo (21-5 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) avenged his loss to former champion Darrion Caldwell when he edged him out at Bellator 259 this past Friday. The Brazilian made it three in a row, but failed to hit the bantamweight mark on the scale for the second straight fight.
An apologetic Higo may have had another weight mishap, but he thinks his resume speaks for itself and wants a crack at newly crowned champion Sergio Pettis.
“I’m very sorry for that to happen again,” Higo said at the post-fight news conference. “Please forgive me. I actually went to bed only one kilo over, which is two pounds. I felt great when I went to bed and then when I woke up, I went all the way to the last second. My body just wouldn’t break a sweat. I know I could be the best in the world, and this is my weight class. This is my category.
“I think that I deserve a title shot. I just beat three of the biggest names in the game. I just beat a former world champion, and nobody has beat the type of three guys that I just beat – the high, world-class caliber of guys that I just beat … three consecutive wins.”
But if Higo doesn’t get his wish, he has another fighter in mind he’d be willing to face. He’d like to get his hands on James Gallagher, reigniting his team’s rivalry with the renowned SBG Ireland team.
“If I don’t get this fight for the title against Sergio Pettis, give me someone easy,” Higo said. “I’ve been fighting all the toughest fighters here in Bellator. Give me SBG’s James Gallagher. I need an easy fight. A couple of weeks ago, his teammate Peter Queally from SBG was smiling a lot and so was James Gallagher after they beat Patricky ‘Pitbull’ (Freire) because of a cut on the side of the head, and I want to turn that frown upside down of James Gallagher – another rivalry with SBG.”
Leandro Higo calls for next title shot or ‘easy fight’ against James Gallagher
