Rogers appears best fit to battle Russian champ Emelianenko

Originally posted on SI.com

I needed a new way of thinking, so later in the day I focused on Emelianenko's preference of Brett Rogers --who entered in the heavyweight top 10 after walloping Andrei Arlovski in June -- over the likes of Belfort, the perceived front-runner and potentially bigger pay-per-view draw, and Buentello.

One person close to Emelianenko recently told me that, contrary to popular belief, the Russian champion is in charge of his destiny and it's laughable to think his management is manipulating him. I took it to mean he and the UFC remain far apart because Emelianenko wants it that way. Until he feels differently about competing in the Octagon, there isn't a real chance it will happen.

So when he says he wants Rogers, we should listen.

Why?

Rogers makes sense because he's ranked and undefeated in 10 fights. For Emelianenko, a loss against a challenger with a perfect record isn't nearly as debilitating as falling short against a blown-up middleweight or a heavyweight with double-digit losses on his résumé.

Meanwhile, a win for Rogers immediately sets up a big-money rematch, which you'd have to think would come under the Strikeforce banner since Rogers is its man. It would guarantee at least one more high-anticipation, big-money fight outside the UFC -- one, I imagine, that would give rise to quite a lot of fan and media interest. Depending on Roger's decisiveness of victory, Strikeforce could comfortably lay claim to promoting the top heavyweight in the world. And Showtime would stand to benefit by being Rogers' premium network home.

Click here to read the entire article on SI.com

Brett Rogers Interview

Why Brett Rogers Should Get The Nod To Fight Fedor Emelianenko At Affliction 3

Originally posted on MMAforReal.com

Of course all of this would hinge on Strikeforce allowing Rogers to take this fight. Check it:

Throw PPV out of the window because there is nobody left that Affliction can use to boost PPV numbers. Even if Bobby Lashley was chosen to fight Fedor, it wouldn't add a significant amount of PPV buys to the show IMO.

Vitor Belfort shouldn't be called on to fight Fedor. He's a middleweight first of all, and already scheduled to fight on the card. Why eliminate one problem by creating another in finding an opponent for Jorge Santiago? Not to mention that's one of the best middleweight fights outside of the UFC that can happen.

I wouldn't be too mad with Fabricio Werdum getting the fight, but he is coming off a KO loss to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90. Plus, he's not going to submit Fedor and that's pretty much his only way of winning the fight IMO.

Tito Ortiz just said that he couldn't take the fight due the reasons I mentioned earlier today.

Now let's take a look at why Rogers should get the nod to fight Fedor Emelianenko:
-Rogers is coming off a devastating KO win against former top 5 HW Andrei Arlovski.
-Rogers has never gone the distance in a fight, so you know it has the potential to be an exciting fight.
-It would be a legitimate HW as Fedor's opponent, and arguably a top ten HW(MMA4Real has Roger's at #9).
-It's a win-win fight for Rogers. If he wins, then it further solidifies him as a top HW. If he loses, then he took the fight on short notice(and depending on how he lost) could earn even more credibility if he gives Fedor a run for his money.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAforReal.com

Brett Rogers ruled out of "Affliction: Trilogy" bout with Fedor Emelianenko

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

"It's safe to say neither Fabricio or Brett will be fighting on Aug. 1," Afromowitz said. "The plan is still for Fabricio to fight on Aug. 15, and we hope to have an opponent named soon.

"As for Brett, nothing is finalized, but he won't be fighting on Aug. 1."

At a media call addressing the situation held earlier today, Affliction vice resident Tom Atencio had mentioned he was open to working with Strikeforce to seek a replacement for Barnett. The comment fueled speculation that either Werdum or Rogers would take the fight.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

Where Does Brett Rogers Go From Here?

Originally posted on MMAopinion.com

Brett Rogers (10-0 MMA, #9 IWMMAR) is one of the rising stars in the heavyweight division. With ten wins and ten finishes, all by strikes, The Grimm has put himself in a position to move up the ladder in a division that has a great deal of talent on the open market.

His win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC, #10 IWMMAR), one of the most visible and most popular heavyweights in the western world, legitimized Rogers in the minds of many fans, and certainly demonstrated that his hands have world class power, regardless of the technical striking ability of the opposition. He destroyed Arlvoski, who was widely considered the most technical striker and the heavy favorite, in 22 seconds.

Only going past the first round twice (once in a bout that had significantly less than five minute rounds), Rogers has never really been in deep waters and, only in his fight with Abongo Humphrey (5-1 MMA) did Rogers really look like he was in danger of being taken out.

While we never got to see Rogers take on Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (3-1 MMA), we will certainly see more of Rogers now that he’s in the Strikeforce promotion. What remains to be seen, though, is who Brett is going to fight next.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAopinion.com

Sherdog's Official Heavyweight Rankings

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It almost seems like ages ago that Emelianenko was facing criticism over his level of competition. Affliction’s “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 will mark Emelianenko’s third straight bout against a former UFC champion, as he takes on Josh Barnett in their long-awaited heavyweight clash.

2. Josh Barnett (24-5)
The Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted. Barnett will finally take on Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 at Affliction “Trilogy” in yet another marquee heavyweight showdown for MMA in the coming months.

3. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
In just five fights, Lesnar now owns the full UFC heavyweight crown and sports stoppages over the likes of Frank Mir and Randy Couture. However, despite his overwhelming performance against Mir at UFC 100, Lesnar's post-fight pro-wrestling theatrics seem to have overshadowed his victory.

4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Mir was in his best shape in years for his rematch with Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. It wasn't enough, though, for him to duplicate his first-round submission win from February 2008, as Lesnar brutally pounded Mir out in the second stanza.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight for which fans had long hoped remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 in August when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.

6. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully, when “The Natural” and “Minotauro” square off at UFC 102 in August, the clash of heavyweight legends will not prove past its expiration date.

7. Brett Rogers (10-0)
After his blistering 22-second knockout of Andrei Arlovski, Rogers was expected to be fast-tracked to a Strikeforce title shot against champion Alistair Overeem. Instead, the unbeaten prospect will continue honing his craft on Strikeforce's October offering against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

8. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
Despite having knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Carwin will be back in action at UFC 104 on Oct. 24. If all goes according to plan, he'll find opposition in fellow unbeaten heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez in a bout rich with risk and reward for both fighters.

10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
In the first defense of his Strikeforce heavyweight title, Alistair Overeem will get a chance for revenge on Aug. 15. He will stake his mantle against UFC and Pride veteran Fabricio Werdum, who submitted the high-flying Dutchman back in May 2006.

Other contenders: Junior dos Santos, Aleksander Emelianenko, Jeff Monson, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum.

Click here to read the entire article on Sherdog.com

MMAweekly.Com's Top Welterweights and Heavyweights

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Josh Barnett

3. Brock Lesnar

4. Frank Mir

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

6. Randy Couture

7. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

8. Brett Rogers

9. Cain Velasquez

10. Andrei Arlovski

Click here to read the entire article on MMAweekly.com


#1 Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Jake Shields

4. Thiago Alves

5. Josh Koscheck

6. Matt Hughes

7. Martin Kampmann

8. Carlos Condit

9. Mike Swick

10. Nick Thompson

Rogers' Manager: 'Overeem Is Afraid'

Originally posted on MMAfanhouse.com

Following Brett Rogers' impressive 22-second knockout of Andrei Arlovski on the June 6 Strikeforce event, many suspected that he would be next in line to fight for the organization's heavyweight title. However, Rogers' trainer/manager, Mike Reilly, told FanHouse Monday that he isn't surprised that Rogers isn't getting the first crack at champion Alistair Overeem.

"I don't think Overeem was ever planning on fighting Brett," Reilly said. "I think Overeem is afraid of Brett. He's afraid of a big striker who is going to knock him out. ... I don't think anyone is going to admit that, but I'm not going to shy away from it. He's had two opportunities to fight Brett but he hasn't taken either of him."

Click here to read the entire article at MMA.fanhouse.com

USAT/SBN June MMA Consensus Rankings: Heavyweight

1 Fedor Emelianenko 100 Affliction 1
2 Josh Barnett 94 Affliction 2
3 Frank Mir 90 UFC 3
4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 85 UFC 5
5 Brock Lesnar 80 UFC 6
6 Randy Couture 77 UFC 7
7 Shane Carwin 64 UFC 9
8 Brett Rogers 60 Strikeforce 26

#8 Brett Rogers is the biggest beneficiary of the Fedor curse this side of Ray Mercer. Rogers' demolition of #9 (former #4) Andrei Arlovski at Strikeforce's June 6th event propelled Rogers up 18 spots in the rankings this month. One of the biggest single month leaps I can recall. No word on what's next for Rogers, but one can hope that the Strikeforce title fight he had booked against #10 Alistair Overeem until Overeem broke his hand in a bar brawl will be rebooked ASAP.

Click here to read the entire article at BloodyElbow.com

MMAweekly.Com's Top Welterweights and Heavyweights

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Josh Barnett

3. Frank Mir

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

5. Randy Couture

6. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

7. Brock Lesnar

8. Brett Rogers

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

#1 Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Thiago Alves

4. Jake Shields

5. Josh Koscheck

6. Matt Hughes

7. Martin Kampmann

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

Rogers Appears on MMA Live

Sherdog's Top Heavyweight Rankings

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It almost seems like ages ago that Emelianenko was facing criticism over his level of competition. Affliction’s “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 will mark Emelianenko’s third straight bout against a former UFC champion, as he takes on Josh Barnett in their long-awaited heavyweight clash.

2. Josh Barnett (24-5)
The Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted. Barnett will finally take on Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 at Affliction “Trilogy” in yet another marquee heavyweight showdown for MMA in the coming months.

3. Frank Mir (12-3)
A knee injury postponed Mir’s matchup with Brock Lesnar in May. Now, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion will seek to unify both versions of the promotion’s title when he rematches Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 11.

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight for which fans had long hoped remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 in August when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.

5. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
The former World Wrestling Entertainment star got a bit of bad news when his UFC heavyweight title rematch with Frank Mir was postponed due to injury. Lesnar will get the chance to become the lone undisputed UFC heavyweight king come July 11 when the two meet again at UFC 100.

6. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully, when “The Natural” and “Minotauro” square off at UFC 102 in August, the clash of heavyweight legends will not prove past its expiration date.

7. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Few would have denied that his heavy hands gave him a chance against Andrei Arlovski, but Rogers took his opportunity and ran with it against the former UFC champion. It took Rogers just 22 seconds to turn out the lights on the Belarusian, setting up an Aug. 15 date with Alistair Overeem for Strikeforce’s heavyweight title.

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com

Brett Rogers Strikeforce Post-Fight Press Conference

EMBED-Brett Rogers at Strikeforce Press Conference - 6/6/09 - Watch more free videos

Brett Rogers.. Is He for Real??

Originally posted on GymboKnows.com

Did Brett Rogers really just smash Andrei Arlovski in 22 seconds??

Wow!!

I missed the fight live because I was at a local MMA show but once I heard the news I was shocked. I didn’t think Brett Rogers stood much of a chance against a world class fighter like Arlovski but I guess he proved me and everyone else wrong… Maybe he is better then we all thought…

I thought Brett Rogers was a decent heavyweight with good hands but I didn’t think he was a Top 10 heavyweight. Now after he made Andrei Arlovski his human punching bag I’m going to have to put him into my top 10 (atleast for now). I’m not saying he’s going to go in there and crush Fedor or Barnett but Brett Rogers is definitely a top 10 heavyweight.

Click here to read the entire article

FFG: Brett Rogers

Brett Rogers Sherdog Post-Fight Interview

FFG At The Fights: Brett Rogers

Brett Rogers Wants the Strikeforce Belt

Strikeforce won't stand in way of Brett Rogers' championship aspirations

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

ST. LOUIS - Soon after his stunning 22-second demolition of former UFC champion and worldwide top-five heavyweight Andrei Arlovski, undefeated Brett Rogers cut to the chase when asked about a potential bout with Strikeforce heavyweight title-holder Alistair Overeem.

"Alistair, I was kind of aiming for him," Rogers said in a post-event press conference following Saturday's "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. "I was expecting the title today. He's still in my sight."

According to one Strikeforce executive, that Rogers vs. Overeem bout could happen as soon as August.

During Saturday's Showtime broadcast, Strikeforce announced an Aug. 15 card featuring new signee Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Strikeforce world lightweight champion Josh Thomson vs. interim title-holder Gilbert Melendez.

Overeem is essentially a lock for the card. BUT Could the Dutch fighter, who hasn't defended his Strikeforce world heavyweight belt since winning it in late 2007, now meet Rogers?

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Brett Rogers vs Alistair Overeem possible for August 15 Strikeforce event in San Jose, California

Originally posted on MMAmoz.com

Strikeforce Executive Mike Afromowitz confirmed to MMAmania.com yesterday that surging heavyweight sensation Brett Rogers will likely meet current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in a title fight on the upcoming August 15 event in San Jose, California.

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Afromowitz said after Saturday’s press conference. “I know Brett said he is ready. We will see how he is feeling next week and go from there. Overeem is locked in for the August 15 fight card.”

“The Grimm” is coming off a devastating knockout win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at the June 6 ‘Lawler vs. Shields’ event from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rogers was a +300 underdog heading into the fight but needed just 0:22 seconds to put “The Pitbull” to sleep — the second time for Arlovski in as many fights.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAmoz.com