Crash Course: Bellator 36 Edition

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to the second “Crash Course” of the day. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event.  So let’s get right to it with the second “Crash Course” of the day, now featuring Bellator’s upcoming thirty-sixth event.

The Event: Bellator 36, currently scheduled for March 12, 2011 at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The main card will be broadcast live on the MTV2 network at what is listed as “9p/8c”.

Why You Should Care: This is the opening round of Bellator’s “Season 4” Lightweight Tournament. Eight men will compete for a shot at Bellator Lightweight Champion and top-ranked Lightweight Eddie Alvarez, and Bellator has put together several strong matches and gotten some great talent for this tournament.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: There’s no real “main event” when you have a card solely devoted to the first round of a tournament, but I can definitely talk about the match I’m most looking forward to: Rob McCullough vs. Patricky Freire. “Razor” Rob is a former WEC Champion, while Freire is on a three-fight tear and has only lost once in his professional MMA career. Bellator has been known to produce some highlight-reel finishes, and this fight looks tailor-made to end in such a way.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: I’m also looking forward to Toby Imada taking on Ferrid Kheder. The third time may be the charm for Imada, he’s been to the finale of a Bellator Lightweight Tournament on two separate occasions and it’s a safe bet to assume that he’s going on another deep run. But that’s not said to discredit his opponent, who has won five of his last six bouts. Kheder will be a tough test for Imada, but as the man who gave us one of the most dramatic submissions of all time, I’ve got a lot of faith in Toby Imada.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Now that the “first show” jitters have been shaken off, and with some great talent set to fight, this second show could set the standard for many events to come. Bellator has a real chance at finding their niche if they’re able to replicate the kind of crazy finishes that got them noticed in the first place, and they’ve got their best shot at doing so by utilizing the lighter weight classes.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Now that the first show is out of the way, you should only watch this show if you know that you’ll be in this for the long haul. Some of the best and most highly-anticipated match-ups are still a ways away, simply due to Bellator’s tournament format. Even though there’s always a chance that the fighters could deliver something unexpected, this show doesn’t exactly scream “must watch”.

Closing Thoughts: I’m going to go ahead and continue to support Bellator, and with that in mind, I’m definitely going to watch this show. Much like the first Bellator show, I’m coming in knowing virtually nothing since this is an entirely different tournament in an entirely different weight division. Can lightning strike twice? I certainly hope so.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on Bellator 36?