SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 10, 2017) – A light heavyweight bout pitting former 205-pound world champion Liam McGeary (11-1) against Chris Fields (11-7-1) will serve as the main event of “Bellator 173: McGeary vs. Fields,” which will take place inside The SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Friday, February 24.
“Bellator 173: McGeary vs. Fields” airs on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just £35 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ie, SSEArenaBelfast.com, or the SSE Arena box office.
Hailing from Andover, England, the 34-year-old McGeary will make the short trek up to Northern Ireland’s capital for the first time in his career, where he will once again compete in a main event. The former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion will enter the cage for the 10th time under the Scott Coker-led promotion, where he has posted an 8-1 record with seven finishes. Following an 11-fight winning streak to begin his professional career, McGeary finally experienced the sour taste of defeat, when Phil Davis wrestled the title away from him at ‘Bellator 163.’ McGeary has consistently proven to be one of the most dangerous strikers and submission artists in the 205-pound division, finishing his victim in 10 of 11 career wins, including eight in the opening frame. Much like the “RMS Titanic,” which was built in Belfast, McGeary hopes to sink Fields when the two take center stage inside The SSE Arena on February 24.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Fields will also have a short trek to Belfast when he enters the cage on February 24. “The Housewives’ Choice” will be making his Bellator MMA debut, following nine years under the direction of local promotions, including three appearances under European powerhouse BAMMA. After competing at middleweight in 2015, the 33-year-old Fields returned to the light heavyweight division, recording a first round submission victory over Dan Konecke at “BAMMA 24.” Fields has tallied finishes in each of his 11 career wins, making him one of the most menacing opponents for anyone standing in his way. Now the SBG Ireland product will look to make a splash in his first fight with Bellator MMA, as he prepares for the former division kingpin.
Hailing from nearby Straban, Ireland, the 20-year-old Gallagher is one of the brightest stars in all “The Emerald Island.” At age 15, “The Strabanimal” moved away from home to join Coach John Kavanagh at Straight Blast Gym (SBG), where he now trains alongside the best fighters in the country including Connor McGregor. Having made his Bellator debut in London this past July in London, Gallagher followed up in December with a submission victory over Anthony Taylor in front of a raucous home crowd at the 3Arena in Dublin. Gallagher’s opponent will be announced in the near future.
Updated “Bellator 173: McGeary vs. Fields” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Liam McGeary (11-1) vs. Chris Fields (11-7-1)
Featherweight Feature: James Gallagher (5-0) vs. TBD