Top 5 Best Moments Of Bellator 35

Bellator 35 was a very important show for a number of reasons, chief of which was that it was the upstart promotion’s debut on their new television home, the MTV2 network. Although only one of the main fights saw a finish, I definitely enjoyed Bellator 35. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of Bellator 35.

5. Dan Hornbuckle’s performance up until he lost a fouled-up decision.

Even thought I came into this event with little knowledge of Bellator, I still knew who Dan Hornbuckle was. I had heard about his numerous dominating wins, and as I watched him fight the opening bout of Bellator 35, I began to realize just how fully Hornbuckle lives up to his hype. Hornbuckle turned in an awesome performance against a very tough, very game Brent Weedman, and unfortunately for Hornbuckle, the judges did not agree with me in thinking that Hornbuckle did more than enough to win this fight.

4. ‘Judo” Jim being taken to school.

It’s one thing to prefer one fighting style out of the myriad amount of styles seen in MMA, it’s another thing entirely to love it so much that one of your nicknames is named after it. But when “Judo” Jim Wallhead fought Rick Hawn, he was forced to learn that even the best always have someone better than them. And it doesn’t get much better than an Olympic-level Judoka, which is what Hawn was. Wallhead and Hawn put on a great performance, and their fight was definitely a highlight of the night.

3. Jay Hieron choking out Anthony Lapsley.

It wasn’t a secret that one of the main reasons I tuned in to see this show was so I could see Jay Hieron fight, and I’m very glad that he lived up to my expectations. Hieron proved that he still has “it”, and that he’s still quite the force to be reckoned with when put up against just about any opponent. Although the end of this fight was controversial, Hieron’s outright domination of his opponent in the minutes leading up to that submission left nothing to speculation.

2. The entire Lyman Good vs. Chris Lozano fight.

Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy a good brawl, and this was definitely the best one of the night. It wasn’t a chess match, it was actually rather simple, but its strength was in its simplicity. This was a close, heated encounter between two very tough individuals. Even if it wasn’t a strategic masterpiece, there was one thing it most definitely was: entertaining.

And my personal pick for the best moment of Bellator 35 is…

1. Seriously watching Bellator for the first time, and watching Bellator live up to most of its hype .

Although it didn’t quite blow my socks off nearly as much as the first time I watched the WEC, I admit that I had the same feeling of new-found appreciation when I tuned in to Bellator for the first time. I gave another promotion a chance, and even though I may be coming in a bit late, it’s great to know that this is one promotion I’ll be sure to follow from now on. Simply adding Bellator to my list was the best moment of the night, at least for me.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from Bellator 35. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?