Bellator 37: A Comprehensive Event Overview
Bellator 37 took place on March 19, 2011, at Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Oklahoma, and aired on MTV2. The card opened Bellator’s Season 4 featherweight tournament, with four quarterfinals.
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire headlined against Georgi Karakhanyan and won by TKO at 0:56 of round three. Wilson Reis submitted Zac George with a rear-naked choke at 2:09 of round one. Daniel Straus earned a unanimous decision over Nazareno Malegarie (29–28 on all three cards), while Kenny Foster submitted Eric Larkin with a guillotine at 3:15 of the first round.
Those four winners advanced to the tournament semifinals. On the undercard, Jake Rosholt submitted John Bryant by rear-naked choke in the first round, and Jeremy Spoon submitted Jerrod Sanders in round two.
How the quarterfinals unfolded
Freire’s finish followed two rounds in which he used clinch pressure and takedowns to limit Karakhanyan’s offense. A left hand put Karakhanyan down in the third, and the follow-up punches brought the stoppage. The victory returned Freire to winning form after his first professional defeat.
Straus had to survive a more complicated opening. Malegarie attacked with a rear-naked choke and guillotine before Straus escaped, recovered momentum and scored a second-round knockdown. His eventual decision extended his winning streak to eleven and handed Malegarie the first loss of a nineteen-win professional career.
Reis advanced through aggressive grappling, passing George’s guard before taking the back for the choke. Foster’s submission followed an early knee that cut Larkin, then a takedown and guillotine. MMA Junkie’s contemporary event report details the four victories. Together, the results produced three finishes and one decision in the tournament’s opening round, setting the semifinal field.
Selected Bout Results
- Patricio Freire defeated Georgi Karakhanyan by TKO (Punches); round 3, 0:56.
- Wilson Reis defeated Zac George by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke); round 1, 2:09.
- Daniel Straus defeated Nazareno Malegarie by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Kenny Foster defeated Eric Larkin by Submission (Guillotine Choke); round 1, 3:15.
- Jake Rosholt defeated John Bryant by Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke); round 1, 1:02.
- Jeremy Spoon defeated Jerrod Sanders by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke); round 2, 0:26.
- Roli Delgado defeated Jameel Massouh by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Brandon Shelton defeated Adam Snook by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke); round 1, 2:45.
Sources
Sherdog; MMA Fighting: Bellator 37 results.
Article Tags
Bellator 37, Bellator, Mixed Martial Arts, Event Results
