Just over a week removed from a very close split decision win at Belltor 56 for Welterweight Champ Ben ‘Funky’ Askren over Season Four Tournament winner Jay ‘The Thoroughbred’ Hieron, many were calling for an immediate rematch between the two.
The close match would go all five rounds with the judges scoring the very entertaining fight 47-48, 48-47, 48-47. Some critics felt the judges got it wrong, while others felt they got it right, adding fuel to the fire for the call of “rematch” between the two welterweights.
Recently, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney spoke to MMAFighting.com and he cleared up any thoughts of Hieron getting the next title match.
Ben Askren beat Jay Hieron in a very close split decision to retain the Bellator welterweight title. Would you consider booking an immediate rematch between the two of them?
Bjorn Rebney: I thought it was a great fight. The reason I went out and signed Jay Hieron was because I thought he was a world-class fighter who had never been given his shot. The key selling point I had with Jay was that if you come here you’ll have a clear path to the title. He got it, he bought into it, Ben faced the best fighter he has faced thus far in his career. I thought Ben won the fight. I think the world of Jay Hieron and it would be my pleasure to have him back in another tournament and give him another shot at fighting either Ben Askren or the Ben Saunders-Douglas Lima winner, whoever of them might beat Ben Askren. But I don’t give anyone a title shot. Guys earn a title shot in Bellator. So I’m not going to deviate from what’s made Bellator unique, and that is that you earn it. Jay got super close, and it was a great fight, but the judges decided Ben won the fight, and if Jay wants another shot he’ll come back and earn it.
It will be interesting to see what route Hieron will take after a grueling journey of three wins in three months to take the Season Four Tournament. The next tournament won’t likely take place until next summer as part of Bellator’s “Summer Series” as Rebney is looking at featuring the Featherweight, Lightweight, and Light-Heavyweight divisions for Season Six.
Askren, meanwhile, will have to prepare himself for the winner of this coming weekends Bellator 57 Season Five tournament winner, as Ben Saunders takes on former MFC champ Douglas Lima.