5 Reasons To Watch Bellator 36

On March 12, 2011, upstart promotion Bellator FC will hold its thirty-sixth event, and the second event of their new partnership with the MTV network, featuring the start of Bellator’s “Season 4” Lightweight tournament. It’s a night full of potential, with several high-level stars making their Bellator debuts while other Bellator favorites return for another run at the gold. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch Bellator 36.

5. The redemption of Ferrid Kheder.

Not so long ago, Kheder was embroiled in a highly-publicized controversy regarding a fight with Hermes Franca. Kheder “won” the fight, but it was painfully obvious that the outcome was fixed. The resulting scandal left all involved with a black stain on their name, except for Franca of course, who had to be content with the loss being changed to a No Contest. This is Kheder’s shot to prove himself again, to emerge out of the shadow of that scandal and seek new life in a new promotion. It should be very interesting to see if he can firmly grab hold of this opportunity.

4. The start of Bellator’s latest Lightweight Tournament.

It’s always a good thing when another tournament is about to get under way, but that goes double for the Bellator Lightweights. Throughout its short history, Bellator’s Lightweights have given the promotion a host of highlight-reel stoppages, many of which have gone or come close to going viral. You never know what to expect when the lighter-weight fighters show up to bang, and that’s a big reason to tune in and see what happens.

3. The return of Toby Imada.

What else is there to say about Toby Imada other than he gave fans one of the greatest submission wins of all time? Imada is a proven force in Bellator, he’s been to the tournament finals on two separate occasions, and many people believe he’s Bellator’s uncrowned champion, since Imada lost a controversial decision to Pat Curran. Imada is one of Bellator’s best and I can’t wait to see if he has it in him to make another deep run in this latest tournament.

2. The Bellator debut of “Razor” Rob McCullough

Much like Jay Hieron’s debut at Bellator 35, I’m looking forward to the debut of Rob McCullough because I know who he is and I definitely know what he can do. “Razor” Rob is an incredibly exciting fighter and a former WEC Champion, so he’s been in there with the best and he’s even beaten a few of them. I can’t wait to see how Rob approaches this debut in a new promotion after winning three of his last four fights.

And the biggest reason to watch Bellator 36 is…

1. It’s important that Bellator delivers consistent and consistently good ratings.

Now that I’ve taken the plunge and begun to invest in Bellator full-time, I’m beginning to realize just how important it really is to stay tuned in. Bellator’s first show seems to have been a sweeping success, but there’s a long, long history of TV programs, including some failed MMA programs, that fired right out of the gate with big numbers only to fizzle out and be done before their first season is through. I don’t want the same thing to happen to Bellator, and if you really consider yourself an MMA fan, you should feel the same way. Giving support where support is needed is definitely the biggest reason to watch this show.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see Bellator 36. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?