Bellator 36 Results: Lightweights Shine In Fierce Fights

For the second week in a row, upstart promotion Bellator FC put forth a live event on MTV2, and also for the second week in a row, the event saw the first four matches of Bellator’s latest “Season 4” series of tournaments. This time it was the Lightweights in action, and as expected, the lighter fighters did not disappoint in the slightest. From slick submissions to dramatic KO’s, Bellator 36 put the best of Bellator on display. There was no sophomore slump here, so here are the full results as well as some commentary on Bellator 36.

Booker Arthur defeated Javone Duhon via verbal submission (elbows) at 2:31 of round 2. Kevin Aguilar defeated Matt Hunt via TKO (punches) at 3:02 of round 1. Chad Leonhardt defeated Kelly Leo via TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2. Michael Chandler defeated Marcin Held via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:56 of round 1. Lloyd Woodard defeated Carey Vanier via TKO (punches) at 0:46 of round 2. Toby Imada defeated Josh Shockley via verbal submission (armbar) at 1:36 of round 1. Patricky Freire defeated McCullough via TKO (punches) at 3:11 of round 3.

What struck me the most about this event is how better it was compared to Bellator 35, and to be honest I actually liked Bellator 35 for the most part. I guess this is what all the hype was about, because all of the fights at BFC 36 were jam-packed with drama. It was a fun, wild night, and it helped remind me why I’ve always been a very adamant supporter of lighter-weight fighters.

I enjoyed the opening bout a lot, and it felt like both men could have gone far in the tournament if they weren’t faced off against each other. Held didn’t have an ounce of quit in him, and for that he was choked unconscious. It was a big win for Chandler and I think he’s emerged as a potential “dark hose” candidate.

And speaking of “dark horses”, Lloyd Woodard stormed to the front of the “dark horse” pack with his dramatic TKO win over Carey Vanier. Vanier had everything going for him: he was young, he was athletic, he was well-toned and muscular, and he trained at one of the best gyms on the face of the planet, Jackson’s Submission Fighting. But sometimes all the skill in the world just isn’t enough when faced with a tough fighter who won’t quit and will just walk right through your punches until he eventually drops and stops you.

I was also very impressed by Toby Imada’s sheer dominance of his opponent. I along with many others are already calling for him to win this season’s tournament, and I think that’s one of the safer bets in Bellator. Imada is just too good on any given day, and I think only the best stand a chance of taking him down.

I didn’t like to see “Razor” Rob lose, but I can admit that Patricky Freire fought hard and survived several tough moments to get the TKO win. I don’t know how far Freire will go in Bellator, but I do know that he’s now riding high with a major win over a former WEC champion. Freire and Imada were clearly the big winners of the evening.

Overall, I really enjoyed Bellator 36 and I can’t wait to tune in next week for more MMA action. And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of Bellator 36?