Askren

By FCF Staff

Bellator Fighting Championships has confirmed that undefeated welterweight champion Ben Askren will take on Season Four tourney winner Jay Hieron, October 29^th in Kansas City. The Bellator 56 card will be hosted by the city’s Memorial Hall and will be broadcast live on MTV 2.

Askren (8-0) hasn’t competed since April when the decorated wrestler worked his way to a unanimous decision win over Nick Thompson at Bellator 40. Since transitioning into professional MMA in 2009, Askren has also scored wins over veterans Dan Hornbuckle, Ryan Thomas and former Bellator champ Lyman Good.

“It’s an unreal feeling knowing I’ll be fighting so close to Mizzou,” Askren was quoted saying in a press release from the promotion. “It won’t affect me during the fight, I could beat Jay in his living room, but to be able to celebrate with all my friends and family after the win is going to awesome.”

Hieron (22-4) battled his way to a split decision win over Rick Hawn in May, to win last season’s welterweight tourney and secure a title fight with Askren. Heading into the October 29^th bout, Hieron has won ten straight fights, and has not lost since Brad Blackburn stopped him at an International Fight League event in June, 2007.

“I’ve been getting ready for this fight for months, so location doesn’t matter,” said Hieron. “I’ve got one goal in mind, and that’s punching this guy in the face and taking his belt. We all know the game he is going to bring to the cage, and everyone knows mine, so it’s going to be a war, simple as that.”

Bellator 56 will also feature the semifinals of the promotion’s ongoing heavyweight tournament.