Crash Course: Bellator 46 Edition

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. Today marks another entry into “Crash Course” due to a very special occasion: for this week and this week only, MMA fans will be treated to three separate MMA events on three separate days, promoted by three separate companies (even though Strikeforce now belongs to the UFC, their rosters remain separate at this time). So let’s dive right into it with today’s edition, featuring Bellator 46.

The Event: Bellator 46, currently scheduled for June 25, 2011 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The main card will be broadcast live on the MTV2 network starting at 9 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This event marks Bellator’s live return to the airwaves following the conclusion of what was, in my opinion, a stellar fourth season. This will also be the debut event in Bellator’s new “Summer Series”, and will feature all four opening-round fights of the “Summer Series” Featherweight Tournament.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Since technically they’re all tournament bouts, I’ll just pick two of the bouts I feel most-interested in and I’ll talk about them. The fight that strikes me as most interesting will pit Pat Curran against Luis Palomino. Curran was most recently defeated by Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez in a very tough fight, while Palomino is an very experienced MMA veteran. This should be a great clash between two tough warriors.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Another very interesting bout pits Marlon Sandro against Genair da Silva. Sandro is considered by some to be one of the best Featherweights fighting right now, and he holds several notable victories in the Japanese promotion known as Sengoku. In fact, Sandro is a former champion in the organization. Meanwhile, da Silva is on a five-fight win-streak with four stoppages.

Why You Should Watch This Card: If you’re a fan of Bellator, then of course you’re going to watch this event. Myself in particular, I’m very glad that Bellator is back and I’m really looking forward to their return. And even if you’re not a Bellator follower, this card features eight really interesting Featherweights. It’s a night of fights that has “sleeper hit” written all over it.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: It all boils down to timing and how big of a Bellator fan you are. There are some interesting names, for sure, but nothing that could be considered really big, even by Bellator’s standards. Still, the potential of all these fights on paper leads me to believe that you shouldn’t miss this event unless you just can’t make the time.

Closing Thoughts: Thanks to Bellator’s fourth season, I now know at least half the names of the fighters scheduled to compete in this tournament. Even better, I know what kind of fighter they are. And judging on their past fights, Bellator seems to be preparing itself for another great show. I think I’m really going to enjoy Bellator’s latest outing when all is said and through, so they can definitely count me in to watch Bellator 46.