Finally Final Thoughts: Bellator 35 Edition

March 5 is shaping up to be a pretty fun day for MMA fans. In addition to Strikeforce’s “Feijao vs. Henderson” event, the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships promotion will hold its thirty-fifth event in its short three-year history. Not only does this show mark the debut of Bellator’s “fourth season” and its next Welterweight Tournament, but this is also the first event that will be shown on the MTV2 network. This will also be my jumping-on point for this promotion, so here are my final, assorted thoughts on what should be an interesting, pivotal show. It’s another “Finally Final Thoughts”, now featuring Bellator 35.

I like that this show is taking place an hour earlier than “Feijao vs. Henderson”. I would’ve liked it more if this show ended right as Strikeforce’s show began, but with time constraints and a new channel and MMA events always taking place near the evening and all of that, I can understand why Bellator is in the timeslot it’s been given. When the shows do overlap, I plan to watch both simultaneously. I’ve done it before, and it’s a very enjoyable experience.

I’m going to do my best at putting aside my prejudices and stereotypes against the “MTV crowd” or whatever the term is for the type of crowd that watches MTV. I’m doing this for several reasons: first and foremost, I know full well that I’m also prone to being stereotyped, being a hardcore MMA fan. I’m also doing it because I realize the potential of the MTV2 audience. I think the MTV2 audience is a very lucrative audience for a growing promotion like Bellator. But as I’ve said in the past: just because the typical MMA fan is in the males age 18-39 demographic does not mean that all males age 18-39 are MMA fans. It’s a gamble through and through, but it’s one that I hope pays off.

In regards to the actual fights, I have to admit that I’m mostly looking forward to seeing Jay Hieron debut. I know that kinda does a disservice to the other fights on the card, since a lot of them have great records and have done good in Bellator, but I think I feel this way mostly because I’m so new to Bellator and Jay Hieron is a familiar face. I also don’t mean that to be a disservice to Jay Hieron, so let’s be clear: I’m also rooting for Jay Hieron because Jay Hieron is a great fighter.

And to be honest, I always tend to root for and follow fighters I empathize with, and I really empathize with Hieron because of what he went through with Strikeforce. I’m not saying Hieron is blameless, especially if you believe the rumor that Hieron turned down a fight with Marius Zaromskis because he thought Zaromskis wasn’t a big enough name, but I certainly do feel like he was at least partially mistreated. So I do hope that he finds new life in Bellator.

All in all, I’m honestly excited to be getting my first, real taste of Bellator on March 5. I hope this show doesn’t disappoint, because I honestly am quite picky and I only give an MMA promotion one or two chances before I decide on whether or not I want to firmly commit to following the promotion. But I really can see myself becoming a real follower of this promotion, and even though I’ll be a little late to the party, I like the idea of becoming a Bellator fan.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Any last thoughts before Bellator 35?