The promotion also announced that Gallagher vs. Kennedy will be a No. 1 contender’s bout at featherweight. Meanwhile, a lightweight clash pitting Tim Wilde against former PFL Challengers Series competitor Manoel Sosa will round out the event’s five-fight main card.
Bellator 302 takes place at SSE Arena in Belfast on March 22 and is headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between Corey Anderson and Karl Moore. Three new preliminary bouts were also announced for the event: Ciaran Clarke vs. Darius Mafi at bantamweight; Nathan Kelly vs. Vikas Singh Ruhil at featherweight and Abraham Bably vs. Isaiah Pinson at heavyweight.
The 27-year-old Gallagher has been victorious in five of his last six appearances under the Bellator MMA banner. Most recently, the Irish fighter garnered a split-decision triumph against James Gonzalez at Bellator 298 last August.
Kennedy has amassed a 19-3 career mark with one no contest while competing for organizations such as Bellator, PFL and the UFC. He’s won three straight in Bellator competition, besting the likes of Pedro Carvalho, Aaron Pico and Emmanuel Sanchez.