Join us at BloodyElbow.com as Bellator Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren faces longtime veteran Nick Thompson in a non-title superfight this Saturday, April. 9th, live on MTV2 at 9 p.m. ET:

Ben Askren on Sherdog radio (audio) - "In my mind, a fight’s about winning, not about putting on a show. We’re not singers, we’re not actors, we are Mixed Martial Artists or fighters or athletes, and that’s about winning. When you’re fighting for 25 minutes, every fan and their mother can talk shit about this and that and don’t finish fights. Well, why don’t they get in there and fight for 25 minutes? That’s a long time. And you got to win before you show. I mean, people that show on top of winning, say Anderson Silva, that dude now he’s a showman but he’s also won, what, 13 fights in a row? So, obviously, he can do it. And there’s people like Leonard Garcia who goes out and puts on a show but he’s like 3-5 in his last 8 fights. Like, c’mon dude.”

Apr 9th, live on MTV2 from Newkirk, Okla.:

Ben Askren (7-0) -675 vs. Nick Thompson (38-13) +475
Non-title welterweight superfight

Jay Hieron (20-4) -500 vs. Brent Weedman (18-5) +300
Season 4 Welterweight semifinal fight - winner faces Rick Hawn

Lloyd Woodard (11-0) +120 vs. Michael Chandler (6-0) -135
Season 4 Lightweight semifinal fight - winner faces Patricky Freire

Local Feature Fights:
Nate James (11-6) -135 vs. Tyler Stinson (19-7) +115
Josh Burns (6-3) vs. Eric Prindle (6-1)

Bellator 40 coverage