· Ben Askren Ready To Smash Nick Thompson At Bellator 40

· Article author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Posted on 04/08 at 11:54 AM

Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben “Funky” Askren is set to return tomorrow night, April 9 at Bellator 40 when he takes on UFC and Strikeforce veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson in a three round non-title affair. The event takes place at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Okla. and airs live at 9 p.m. ET on MTV2. Two tournament semifinals round out the main card.

The undefeated Askren (7-0) last fought at Bellator 33 in October of 2010 where he defeated then-champion Lyman Good via decision, to secure the belt. Facing a significantly more experienced fighter in Thompson (38-13-1), the champion remains undeterred.

“I come to fight every single time,” stated Askren. “Whether you're good or you're bad, I still want to smash you, and it's going to be the same thing when I fight Nick Thompson. It doesn't matter what his record is, I'm going to be looking to kick his ass no matter what.”

Thompson, currently on a three-fight skid, hopes to right the ship in his bid against Akren as he makes his promotional debut. He last competed at Sengoku Raiden Championship 14 in August where he suffered a third round knockout delivered by his opponent Taisuke Okuno.

“Ben hasn’t been in the cage since winning the Bellator title, and I can’t wait to see him back in action this Saturday live on MTV2,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney remarked. “Nick comes in with a ton of experience, so this should be a great fight.”

In the welterweight semifinals bout, recent acquisition Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron (20-4) faces fast-rising Bellator mainstay Brent Weedman (18-5-1). Weedman puts his 10-fight win streak to the test against Heiron’s own eight consecutive victories.

A lightweight semifinals battle between two talented competitors pits all-American Michael Chandler (6-0) against Lloyd "Cupcake" Woodard (11-0) in a contest to remain undefeated and earn a spot in the tournament finals.

The official fight card is as follows:

Main Card:

Welterweight Super Fight: Champ Ben Askren (7-0) vs. Nick Thompson (38-13-1)
Welterweight Semifinal Fight: Brent Weedman (19-5-1) vs. Jay Hieron (20-4)
Lightweight Semifinal Fight: Lloyd Woodard (11-0) vs. Michael Chandler (6-0)

Undercard:

Local Feature Fight: Nate James (11-6-1) vs. Tyler Stinson (19-7)
Local Feature Fight: Josh Burns (5-3) vs. Eric Prindle (6-1)
Local Feature Fight: David Rickles (4-0) vs. Dylan Smith (7-1)
Local Feature Fight: Cody Carrillo (6-4) vs. Michael Osborn (2-3)
Local Feature Fight: Mike Winters (4-0) vs. Ryan Quinn (4-2)

The weigh-ins and pre-fight press conference for Bellator 40 takes place today at 6:00 p.m. ET at the Dining Hall inside the First Council Casino & Hotel, 12875 North Highway 77, Newkirk, Okla. and will stream live on www.Bellator.com. Bellator cage announcer Michael C. Williams and color commentator Jimmy Smith will emcee the event.