The Kansas City clash, made public by Titan FC through an official statement to press, pits a pair of powerful pugilists against each other with the two heavyweights combining for seventeen TKOs in twenty-three total victories. Both men are also coming off losses in their previous appearances meaning a win on September 23 is especially important as another defeat could signal the beginning of the end for their successful runs in the sport.

“This one has slugfest written all over it,” Titan Fighting head Joe Kelly glowed when asked about the match-up.

Though Sanchez hasn’t fought since December, the 12-5 striker is 4-2 since his stint in the UFC with three of his triumphs involving a stoppage and a split decision loss saddled in the bunch too. Also worth mentioning, Sanchez has finished eleven of the twelve opponents he’s beaten.

Rogers looked to be something special during the start of his career with ten consecutive wins, eight of which came in the opening round, and an absolute destruction of Andrei Arlovski in mid-2009 at a Strikeforce event. However, things have been “grim” for “The Grim” since then with three losses in four fights and a handful of personal problems to boot.

Titan FC 20 will be broadcast live on HDNet and features former WEC 155-pound champion Jamie Varner in action against 31-14-1 Alonzo Martinez.

PHOTO CREDIT – PROELITE/UFC

Zuffa officials have not commented on the matter other than UFC President Dana White confirming the company has immediately severed professional ties with Rogers.

According to the official complaint filed by an Apple Valley law enforcement officer, a unit responding to a caller’s concern about sounds of breaking glass and a woman screaming in his neighbor’s house prompted an eventual conversation between police and the 30-year old fighter during which Rogers, who exhibited signs of intoxication and admitted to having consumed alcohol, claimed his wife had hit him and he responded in kind.

Rogers gave permission to search the premises for his wife, T.R., who was not located until later upon which she was discovered to have “obvious signs of injury on her face, including a golf ball size bump above her left eyebrow, a bump on her right eyebrow, one in the middle of her forehead, injuries to her ears and jaw,” plus, “blood on her face and a missing tooth.” She was also noted to have neck/back injuries likely related to a later admission by T.R. that Rogers had put both hands around her neck and choked her in addition to having followed her outside, then “got her on the ground and began hitting her about her head and face, causing her to ‘black out’.”

Additional investigation produced to multiple witness accounts from neighbors, who corroborated her account of the situation, as well as statements from the couple’s nine and ten year old daughters. According to the youngest child, she shouted for her father to stop repeatedly pushing her mother up against a cabinet, while the elder sibling said she had seen her father hit her mother before and that he’d been physically abusive towards her and her sister within the last two years.

The former Strikeforce title-contender made a court appearance earlier today where he was specifically charged with Third Degree Assault, Domestic Assault by Strangulation, Pattern of Stalking Conduct, and Endangerment of a Child. If fully convicted Rogers could face up to a maximum of nineteen years in prison and fine of $38,000.

The outlook certainly appears grim for the 6’5” striker who was seen as one of the hottest prospects in his division after a 10-0 start with ten finishing performances. However, Rogers has been put away in three of his last four bouts with the most recent instance being Josh Barnett‘s submission of him in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix earlier this month. With this week’s news Rogers now has a much harder fight ahead of him and one he can’t afford to lose – seeking the necessary help and getting his life back together.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/APPLE VALLEY PD

The 40-year old Villareal is a veteran of thirty-nine professional fights and has won three of his last four bouts. Twelve of his eighteen wins have come by way of TKO. Though he has never necessarily beaten an opponent of Rogers’ caliber, “Warpath” has been in the ring with a number of top competitors in the past and definitely brings the advantage of experience with him into the match-up.

Also slated for action is Ultimate Fighter 11 alumnus Jamie Yager who faces 6-0 Jeremiah Hamilton at the event. The bout will be Yager’s first since losing to Rich Attonito on the season finale this past June.

Editors Note:

First off, to be clear: We have a great deal of respect for Fedor. Likewise, we have a great deal of respect for Arlovski, Abongo, and everyone else that has ever worked hard and shared the stage with us.

However, respect or no respect, we don’t like to finish second. Second place is simply not a place where Brett Rogers will be happy. So while thousands of people will say; it was a great job, good fight, etc; We appreciate the love, but that is simply not something we are ready to settle for.

The desire to fight the best, to be the best has never been stronger. In 2010 we want to fight four times, and we want every fight to be a top ten opponent, a champion, and most of all, we want Fedor again.

Brett came to this fight for the first time really ready. A big part of that preparedness came from the support of our sponsors and friends. Remetee and Throwdown led the pack, supporting us in every possible way. I can not say enough about their support that went way, way, way beyond financial support, clothing, or any material posessions. The people that run and work with Remetee and Affliction opened their hearts and home to us. EA Sports gave Brett one of the greatest thrills of his young career as well as great support. Polanti Watches stepped up for Brett big time and gave us a symbol of the life he is chasing for his family. Of course we also want to thank Full Tilt; a long time sponsor of Brett and Strikeforce.

Among our family now is Strikeforce. Strikeforce brought a show to CBS the way it should have been done. As an organization we could not be happier to be with Strikeforce, and furthermore, we’re honored to have had the chance to carry the Strikeforce banner for this show.

Strikeforce gives the fans great fights time and time again. Above that, the way they work with fighters and the heart of the company represents, in my opinion, what the business should be about. Simply put, I would put more faith in Scott Coker’s word then any written contract. You can go right down the line in the company, Rich, Bob, Carrie, Mike, Shannon, and every single person involved in the promotion has been outstanding.

Falling right in line with the Strikeforce way of handling things are both Showtime and CBS. The Fight Camp 360 show was simply awesome. I’m glad people got to see what Brett is all about, hard work, loyalty, family. I think people like to judge fighters by what they see in the cage, but that is not the truest depiction of the real person; the day to day man. Showtime really showed that part of the story. We are grateful for them and all the press that went out and got the real story.

We also have to thank the critics. We pretty much ignore you for the most part; but please believe we hear you. We see the negativity, the snipping, and all too often the really sad, small and sick malicious spirit that fuels your voices. While it offers just a small part of the puzzle, it absolutely serves in motivating us to try harder. Not only to build a better fighter, but also to become better people. It is often a challenge to be grateful for you, but at the end of the day, and with a great deal of help from God; we strive to find a way to be gracious to you.

Finally, we want to thank all our training partners, family and friends. All the great people who opened their gyms for us, as well as offering advice and encouragement. To Ikkabod, who recorded a sick song for us, and the fans who believe in the American dream.

Back home we will spend the next few weeks with friends and family, then we will be back at it; getting better, faster, stronger; because that is what we do.

In the cage that night, Fedor was the first to mention a re-match; so rest assured, we want that. Likewise, Strikeforce has a great list of heavyweight fighters and we look forward to seeing them all in 2010.

Outside the cage look for Brett to use his story to help other people find something positive. Brett will be working with knockoutdogfighting.org to help put an end to the cruelty of dog fighting. Brett’s motivation is not just for the dogs, but for the young people that get sucked into this criminal and nasty abomination. Brett recently added a dog to his family (Prince Buddy Rogers). Hopefully in 2010 Brett and Buddy can help knockout dog fighting.

Two years folks. That’s how long the championship belt has been residing with Alistair Overeem in his stomping grounds in Holland, steady collecting dust.

As Brett “Grim” Rogers prepares for the biggest fight of his life against Fedor Emelianenko, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that the fact that the fight is just another fight to some degree has left an awful taste in his mouth.

In a recent conversation with FiveOuncessOfPain.com, Rogers made his stance on the situation quite clear, explaining, “Alistair’s kind of holding on to the title. I don’t know what he’s doing, or what little plan he has hidden up his sleeve, but he’s gonna have to give that up, sooner than later, because I’m coming for it.”

No strangers to one another, Overeem and Rogers were set to have their day back on June 6. A bout Alistair was forced out of due to a broken hand suffered during a barroom brawl in Holland.

When former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski steeped up to fill Overeem’s shoes, he got bounced in just :22 seconds on the receiving end of a “Grim” knockout. A victory that has left Rogers in a position where he feels like he’s already the guy to beat in Strikeforce.

“I feel like I should already have the title for when I fought Arlovski,” said Rogers. “That title should have been mine, but Alistair keeps procrastinating and making up little excuses abut his hand and all this. I mean, he has I don’t know how many other wins, but he’s making excuses. We’re going to get our day.

“I’m about to get two titles in a sense [laughs]. I’m going to take out Fedor, and I’m going to take out Overeem whenever I get to him.”

According to ESPNChicago.com, Strikeforce is currently in discussion with the Illinois Athletic Commission to sanction the event at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, a close suburb of Chicago. Strikeforce is waiting for the commission’s approval before officially announcing the venue.

Chicago has become a hot bed for mixed marital arts with a live local scene, as well a past events held by the UFC, Adrenaline MMA, and the now defunct IFL.

The November 7 event will be headlined by Fedor’s debut for the organization against Brett Rogers, and is scheduled to air live on CBS.

A venue for Strkeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers is expected to be announced sometime next week.

Although Fedor’s first appearance was previously expected to take place on the Showtime network, it has recently been announced the the event will in fact air on CBS.

“There’s no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television. “We’re excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport. The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it.”

Strikeforce founder Scott Coker is admittedly excited about his brand of fighting coming to CBS for the first time, as he explained,”It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the Strikeforce brand to CBS. We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world’s No. 1 heavyweight—Fedor—compete for the first time on live network television against one of America’s most promising young, undefeated stars—Brett Rogers.”

Stay tuned to 5 Oz’s in the coming days as we will continue to keep you up to date on any developments concerning the card.

As a matter of fact, as Rogers prepares himself for the man many consider to be the best pound for pound fighter in the business, studying tape on his future opponent is extremely low on his things to do list at this point.

“The first time I watched Fedor fight? Hmmm… you know what. I have to think about that. You know what I can’t honestly say I’ve seen one of Fedor’s fights,” revealed Rogers in an exclusive conversation with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “I’ve seen all of his highlights and some clips, but I’ve never watched a full length fight with him. Well maybe the Arlovski fight, so I take that back. But if you’re asking me if I’m a fan, the answer to that question is no. I know who he is, and I know his background, but I was never a true Fedor fan because obviously most of his work was done out east. So I’m kind of curious to see how he’s going to do in the west.”

The biggest varying factor Emelianenko will have to deal with while competing in the west will undeniably be his having to adjust to fighting inside of a cage. In thirty-one professional contests up until this point in Fedor’s illustrious fighting career, not one has come inside of a chain link fence. Of course the former PRIDE champion has recently admitted that he has began to train inside of a cage in preparations for this bout, but one must wonder how fast Emelianenko can make the necessary adjustments to face off with a man that has spent the bulk of his career fighting in closed quarters.

“In the cage it’s a different environment,” said Rogers. “The angles in a cage are a lot different than in a boxing ring and there’s no give against that fence, so I’m definitely going to use the cage as an advantage. That’s my buddy [laughs]. A buddy that always has my back. I did some boxing in a ring early on in my career, and I had one fight in a ring at an Icon show, but outside of that all of my fighting has come in the cage. It’s a little bit of a different feel. That’s how I know that fighting is different in the ring as opposed to the cage. So hopefully it frustrates him a little bit.”

As Brett will openly admit that he is not the type of guy to pour over countless hours of his opponents tapes in search of a possible weakness, when asked as to whether he had the opportunity to see moments in bouts against opponents such as Kazuki Fujita, Mirko “Cro Cop” Flipovic and Andrei Arlovski where Emelianenko had cases of the spaghetti-leg syndrome, Rogers admitted,”Yeah, yeah I have, and I feel like the people that rocked him just didn’t stay on him enough. I mean, he’s really good at recovering. He knows to duck his head and clinch on to the body, and just kind of wait it out until he can really wake up. That’s good for him, but I’m not the type of person to give him an inch. As soon as I see him hurt, I’m on him. I’m on him. I’m gonna finish the fight. I don’t like to play around too much in the cage because anything can happen at any time, so I take them out as soon as possible.”

It’s no mystery as to where Rogers prefers to make his money; upright, busting his opponents up. And while the Team Bison trained heavyweight makes it clear that there is no area he will fear going to with Fedor, he knows where his major strengths lie.

“I definitely have a huge advantage when it comes down to exchanging punches,” said the undefeated knockout artist that has finished every one of his fights through strikes. “That’s my strong point, and that’s definitely going to be his weak point. I want to keep moving, keep him back pedaling, and just keep him off balance. That’s my main goal in this fight. I really don’t see him wanting to stand and bang with me. He’s gonna taste my power, and then he’s going to try to take me down to hopefully get me with some ground and pound or just whatever. Hopefully he’s not sleeping on the fact that I do have wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu training too. I guarantee you I’m going to be prepared for whatever.”

As previously noted, the best thing that Rogers has going for him in this bout is the fact that he’s absolutely not awestruck by Fedor in the very least. While speaking with Brett you get a sense that he may be on to something. Regardless, the type of confidence the Minnesota native brings into the bout can be viewed as nothing but a positive seeing what being fearful of “The Last Emperor” has done for rivals in the past.

“Fedor’s just another man to me,” explained Rogers. “It’s nice to say that I’m fighting the guy most people consider to be the #1 fighter in the world but on the other side of that coin he’s just a man. He’s just a man that’s in my way.

“A lot of people see Fedor as this unbeatable, mythical creature, but if I put one on his chin, Fedor is going to sleep. Right now I’m in training and I’m just visualizing knocking him out every day. I can see that he’s been rocked several times before, so I’m going in there for the kill. I can’t not picture me knocking him out. So he better do some chin-ups or whatever he needs to do to make him strong, because I’m coming for him. He’s not going to be able to handle my power standing and banging. He stands in the pocket with me, he’s gonna get knocked out. He better keep on his toes and move around.”

One fact that can’t be denied in the highly anticipated heavyweight showdown planned for Strikeforce in Fall is that Fedor has never faced a man quite like Rogers. Not to say he hasn’t faced dangerous position in the past, obviously he has, but Emelianenko has never faced a fighter with the amount of threatening variables that Rogers brings to the table, such as size, strength, one punch knockout power, killer instinct, and a big one that many are neglecting to take into account; the unknown factor. Rogers has made such short work of his prior opponents that he is undeniably one of the toughest heavyweights to prepare for in the business.

While Fedor may feel like he has nothing to show in this most recent challenge, Rogers would beg to differ, stating,”He recently said he had nothing to prove by beating me, but I feel like he does. He’s never faced anyone with the type of heart, determination and desire that it takes to succeed. I’m a totally different person than he’s ever faced before. The way I see it, I am the new generation. Even after beating Fedor I’m still going to have that hunger and desire to win. That’s just a little word of warning for everyone else after this fight. I’m hungry and determined. I’ve got a lot of things on my to do list, and those things take money. Every head is money to me.”

As confident as Rogers may seem, and rightfully so at this level of the game, he will be the first to admit that he’s got something to prove at this early point in his career. After three success filled years in the business that have led to Rogers’ rise to stardom in the fight game, many seem to lose track of the fact that at just twenty-eight years old, “The Grim” is just getting started.

“I feel like I still have a lot of things to prove,” admitted Rogers. “There’s a lot of people that say,”What if…”, this or that, but I never want to be that guy. I look at Fedor and he’s 30-1; I’m trying to be that guy. I’m determined to have a clean record and be known at the same time as one of the best heavyweights in the world. I’m not done. I’m just getting started the way I see it. It just so happens that Fedor is in my way right now.”

Never short on confidence, Rogers recently spoke with MMAFanhouse.com, and has already envisioned himself as the man to beat Emelianenko. When asked how he expected the fight to go, Rogers proclaimed, “I’m going to knock him out. He’s going to give me his chin, somehow, someway. He’s going to get sloppy with that overhand right that he loves to do or he’ll try to shoot in for a takedown, and I’ll catch him with either a knee or an uppercut … something. I’m going to drop him. I want the crowd to go (gasp). I want to get that reaction out of people. So I can’t wait.”

He continued that if he beats Fedor, “I’m God then. I’m the God of MMA. I’ll become the God of MMA, right? Isn’t that how it goes? I’m the soul snatcher; I’m the grim. I’ll take all his wins and put them under my belt, and then everybody can just hush up.”

The fight between the two was announced yesterday, although no location or date has been confirmed.

Brett “The Grim” Rogers, is currently 10-0, coming of a devastating 22 second TKO victory over Andrei Arlovski, while Fedor, who many consider the best fighter on the planet, is also coming off a victory over Arlovski, with a KO in the first round.

The news was recently confirmed through Showtime, and although no location or exact date has been pinned down at this time the bout is expected to take place during an event in Fall.

The bout will be Fedor’s first since knocking Andrei Arlovski senseless during “Affliction: Day Of Reckoning” in January of this year. He had been scheduled to face off with Josh Barnett on August 1 before Barnett tested positive for steroids, and the “Affliction: Trilogy” event crumpled shortly thereafter.

Widely considered to be the best fighter on the planet by fellow mixed martial artists and fans alike, Fedor sports a record of 30-1, with the sole loss due to a cut being avenged by merciless beatdown. He has bested dangerous heavyweights such as Heath Herring, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Andrei Arlovski to name just a few.

Rogers boasts an undefeated record of 10-0, with every one of his victories being finished through strikes. At 6’5″, 265 pounds, Rogers is known for his incredible finishing power and killer instinct. Rogers recently stunned critics by leaving former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in a heap just 22 seconds into their meeting at “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” in June.

First I would like to apologize to the many people who called, wrote, and otherwise tried to reach me for a comment about Brett Rogers facing Fedor. I hate having to give the comment, no comment; but any other statement would not have been appropriate. Now that the situation is passed I would like to make a few things clear:

We never asked to fight Fedor. We are under contract with Strikeforce and happy to be Strikeforce. We have not sought any bouts outside of Strikeforce. We were however approached to fight Fedor by Affliction. Of course we agreed to the fight immediately provided all the details could be worked out among the many parties involved.

I know many fans think this should be like loading a game in their X-box. Push a few buttons and your favorite fighters fight again and again and again. But the real world is just slightly more complicated. There are multiple companies involved with a variety of competing interests. These are real people, with real families, real commitments, responsibilities and frailties.

I know that some people want to make this a story about failure, or greed, or stupidity. As someone who was close to the story I can tell you I saw none of those things. In this story I saw courage, respect, and effort. We want to believe that those things will always be enough to make it work, but sadly even our best efforts still fail.

Understand that is the lesson of the cage. Most of the time when guys step inside the steel they are ready, willing and able to lay it all out on the line. They give their blood, their passion, their heart to win and half the time they come up short. That is just how it goes folks. But I would rather be numbered with those who strive mightily and fail then those sheltered cowards who heckle and hiss from the shadows of the sidelines.

Yes, Affliction the promotion failed. True fans of the sport will mourn it’s passing. Personally I will rejoice in their efforts and give them a great deal of credit for trying something daring, for enriching the lives of fighters and fans. While we never got to step inside their ring (damn close…twice) we were still touched by the respect and professionalism shown by the entire Affliction team and we are proud to number them among our friends.

Finally a word on Fedor. He is the unqualified best in the game. The quintessential fighter. Accepting a fight against him on nine days notice may seem foolish or simply a money move; but it is not. The bottom line is you never know when, or if you will get another chance.

Brett is not in this game to be good, he is not in it to be great; his goal is to be the best. How, as a fighter, could he have turned down the possibility of taking his greatest test? No chance he walks away from that opportunity.

When Fedor mentioned Brett by name as the replacement he wanted we were very honored. There are some who think great champions in this sport should mock their opponents, spit on sponsors and flip off the fans. We are not in that group. Neither is Fedor. We hope one day we get to share the stage with him.

In 2007 Brett took on the then regional Champion Josh Melicar and bounced him in 9 seconds.

His first step on the big stage with EliteXC he crushed hometown hero Ralph Kelly early in the first. Brett’s first step on Showtime proper would be against James Thompson. The PRIDE veteran was a huge favorite to crush the upstart Rogers. All of the Colossus experience and the spirit of Manchester could only keep him on his feet for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The man who beat Dan Severn, who beat Don Frye – downed.

Then first fight ever on network television. The pressure to deliver was enormous. Again Brett came through, 1 minute; left John Murphy laying.

Back to Showtime, Strike Force Brett draws the undefeated Iron Rings Champion Abongo Humphries. For the first time in his pro career Brett was favored to win and honestly looked past Humphries a bit. Brett broke out a new weapon in his arsenal and used his knees to drop Abongo.

Finally Andrei Arlovski. Few people if any had Arlovski ranked anywhere below 5th in the world. Many cling to the fact that he was dominating Fedor before one bad decision. Brett came in a 4 to 1 dog. That is the part of the story everyone knows; here is a few things you don’t.

It took Brett about 1 full minute to agree to the fight with Andrei. We said we wanted top 5. We didn’t take it because Brett had something to prove. Brett took the fight because that is where he belongs.

And there was another motivation. Arlovski is Affliction; Brett is Strikeforce. Brett was brought to the world on Showtime. It was Strikeforce that signed him and pulled him back into the game after 11 months marooned on EliteXC isle. We were happy to carry the SF banner into that fight; honored for the opportunity and very proud we represented our family so well.

People dog on Brett by dogging on his opponents. But we don’t pick our opponents. Brett has taken what ever has been put before him and smashed it down. Every fight he has put leather to chin, bodies to canvas. This sport is about finishing and finishing decisively. Brett has done that – EVERYTIME!

I have been around the game for a long time. I know fighting and Abongo, Murhpry and Thompson are not walk through fights. These are tough, talented fighters who just are not in Brett’s league. 

Arlovski is one of the best in the world. A champion’s champion. Unlike his fight with Fedor, Andrei didn’t make a mistake. Brett came with a strong game plan. It seems fast to the fans’ but that is what happens when Plan A works; but believe plans B,C,D and E where there and ready.

Brett shouldn’t be penalized because no one has been able to push him to prove the rest of his game. Rather he should be exulted for taking away his opponents options, taking away their game plan and taking away their consciousness. That is the mark of a champion, the mark of a great fighter; the mark of a man who should be ranked TOP 5. In my opinion this should reflect to WAMMA top 5

Fedor Emelianenko: Hey, he’s Fedor – until someone beats him he is the last emperor and I believe he will stay that way until we introduce him to the next black president – can we Knock out Fedor… Yes we can!)

Josh Barnett: Josh is the most dangerous match up for any fighter in the world right now. Tough and talented and now with a razor’s edge. A champion with something to prove is deadly.

Brett Rogers: He has destroyed everyone in his path. No one has ever even had him hurt or in trouble. Outside of training I have not seen the man bleed. None of his opponents have ever made it to a post fight press conference. Short of salting their fields – what more does the guy need to do?

Frank Mir: He has recently beat two top guys. He is my odds on favorite to win the title a second time. Though on the small side he is a very complete fighter and beating Nog earned him this spot.

Brock Lesnar: He’s the UFC Champion. Yes he is only 3-1, and yes there are many questions about him; but he holds the belt and anyone holding the UFC belt deserves top 5.

The imposing 9-0 “Grim” made it clear that while he was excited about fighting someone with Arlovski’s credentials, he was also making sure to keep his focus squarely on the task at hand.

“Things are great,” said Rogers. ”I’m just getting ready for next week. This is definitely going to be a step up in class. Arlovski has been in the game for quite some time. He has plenty of experience. Those are the type of fighters I’m trying to fight from here on out. For me, now, it’s about building respect. I feel like I don’t have it, so fighting Arlovski is going to be a fun and challenging event on June 6.

“I’m at that point in my training where I have a great gym now. We have top coaches. I’m doing everything I need to do to take on top fighters. Once I got the phone call and Arlovski was set in stone, I was excited. I remember watching this guy at a younger age and thinking, ‘Man I get to take on someone like that?’ He’s an explosive guy; he likes to move around. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but nothing I don’t think I can handle. He’s big, slimmer guy. He likes to move, he likes to be quick and move his hands. I’m kind of mellow with the fighting stance, so it’s definitely going to be me taking my time and controlling the fight.”

As far as the hype surrounding the fight, Rogers went on to say, “I’m not going to allow myself to get caught up in it. I’m pushing aside everything. Back in the day, I was more a fan. I’ve just been pushing that all out of my head and looking at different fighters as fighters. Arlovski is just one out of a few people I’m aiming at. I’m just going to go out there and just fight. Just do what I do. I love doing it. It’s a fun sport, it’s growing. There’s lots of money in it. I just can’t complain and I can’t wait.”

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion also expressed excitement about the bout, as well as respect for Rogers’ skills, saying, “I’m very excited about this fight. I’m looking forward to fighting Brett Rogers June 6. He’s a good fighter and he’s 9-0. He’s not a joke. He’s a good striker. He’s going in about twenty-five pounds heavier than me. He has a longer reach than me. So, of course, I have to correct my fighting style specifically for him. He’s obviously a very good striker so I think this is going to be an interesting fight for the fans. He likes to strike, I like to box.”

Rogers made it known the admiration for striking prowess was mutual between the opponents, though also took the opportunity to throw in a verbal jab.

“I give his standup a high rank because he does like to use his hands,” said Rogers. ”He can move his head really good. He has a nice right, I’ll give him that. But, as far as anything else go, there isn’t anything that would make me nervous. I’m just the type of fighter that likes to control the pace. I’m going to be the heavier fighter. I’m sure he’s going in around 250. I’m always on top of the weight. I just have to stand and bang with him. That’s all I can do, really. If he gets real careless or real crazy I might have to just check him and bang him around the ring a little bit and try to calm him down. I’m not going into this fight to try and be bouncey-bouncey with him.”

Asked whether or not knocking Arlovski out was his only hope for victory against the talented Belarusian, “The Grim” made it clear he was ready to go to the ground if necessary.

“I won’t say (the KO) is my only way of winning,” admitted Rogers. ”First and foremost that’s going to be the first thing I go for. If it comes down to us turning around on the ground, I feel safe with the jiujitsu game. I know he has a background in that but he’s just another man. It’s just another day in the gym except we’re going 100 percent. Hopefully, he’s not sleeping on that.” Arlovski responded by saying, “If it goes to the ground I have a chance to do something with my fists. He’s a good fighter so I’m taking him very seriously.”

Neither fighter seemed to be overly phased by any potential baggage they may have been associated with the build up to their upcoming battle. Arlovski, who was recently defeated by Fedor Emelianenko, acknowledged a bit of additional pressure due to the loss but maintained that his attention was purely on Rogers.

“When I fought Fedor I didn’t follow my game plan,” Arlovski was quoted as saying during the conference call. ”I just went through the fight. Like all my trainers told me, you have to follow your game plan. Yeah, there’s pressure because I lost my last fight. I’m just focused right now on my fight against Rogers on June 6. All my trainers are very excited for the fight.”

Rogers, who was originally scheduled to compete against Alistair Overeem for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship, gave his opinion on the matter and made it clear he was still interested in that bout amongst others.

“I thought I was fighting him, but I got (the Arlovski fight) about three weeks ago,” explained Rogers. ”It’s cool because the way I see it, it’s actually going to be a better fight than the one with Overeem would have been. With Overeem we might have ended up on the ground and did all that up-and-down stuff. With Arlovski, he likes to stand and bang and I like to do that too. This is going to make for a better fight. I was putting in some time for Overeem. Then he wanted to act like a fool. He’s a pro fighter and he wanted to act like a fool. That’s on him. I’m moving onto bigger and better. I’m getting this fight. I’ll knock Arlovski out and hopefully move on to somebody better. I’m trying to get into that ‘Top 10’ ranking. This isn’t going to be forever so I need to make my move like right now when I’m healthy.

“I did have my mind set on (the title). I was kind of concentrating on that. So whenever Overeem heals, I’m going to go for that. Pretty much I want to fight anybody people say are better than me. I’ll fight Overeem…I’ll fight Arlovski…I’ll fight Fedor. I’ll fight whoever is up there. I’m going for all the ‘Top 10’ guys in the heavyweight division.”

Whether Rogers will take the first step of his desired journey to the top on June 6 or Arlovski will remind fans of how dangerous a fighter he is won’t be known until the lights fade in St. Louis. Tune in and find out along with the rest of the world!

However, when contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com, sources close to the fight stated that a bout between Overeem and Rogers for Strikeforce’s June 6 show in St. Louis has yet to be signed.

The sources did indicate that Overeem vs. Rogers has been discussed but optimistic was expressed whether the bout will be formally signed for the event. It is believed that Rogers could still compete on the card against one of two other potential opponents.

While the unnamed source would not go into detail, it is believed that one possible opponent for Rogers should he compete on the June 6 card could be Fabricio Werdum. The former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight had been discussed as a potential foe for Rogers leading up to Strikeforce’s April 11 event in San Jose but the matchup was never finalized and Rogers ended up fighting Abongo Humphrey.

Now that he has formally signed with Strikeforce, Werdum is in need of an opponent for his debut with the promotion and the 9-0 Rogers would make for an intriguing matchup.

While Strikeforce officials continue to work to find a fifth slot for its June 6 Showtime telecast, it should be noted that Rogers has not been officially signed for the card. The promotion could go in a different direction when trying to fill out the televised portion of the event.

As of now, the event is slated to be headlined by former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler taking on former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shieds, Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith at a catchweight of 179 pounds, and a welterweight matchup between Phil Baroni and Joe Riggs.

While the bout is still pending the approval of the California State Athletic Commission, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed with multiple sources that Rogers has been scheduled to take on former BET Iron Ring veteran Ron Humphries

Sources have also confirmed that the heavyweight tilt between Rogers and Humprhies will be one of five matches featured during Showtime’s telecast of the event. The new matchup will replace the previously announced welterweight matchup between Joe Riggs and Jake Shields that was canceled after Shields was shifted to a main event matchup against Robbie Lawler during Strikeforce’s May event.

Outside of Iron Ring competition, which were not considered sanctioned bouts, Humphries is 5-0, according to Sherdog.com’s fight finder. His last official bout was for the International Sport Combat Federation in December. Facing Nick Thomas, Humphries recorded a TKO victory just 2:02 of round 1.

He will look to improve to 6-0 on April 11 against Rogers, one of many fighters caught in limbo after ProElite suspended operations last October. As a result of the shutdown, Rogers has not competed since recording a first round knockout over Jon Murphy on May 31 of last year.

The historic fight vs. Murphy served as the first-ever mixed martial arts fight to be televised live on prime-time network television as a part of CBS’ Saturday Night Fights franchise. The win improved Rogers’ official record to 8-0 including notable wins under the EliteXC banner against James Thompson and Ralph Kelly.

Rogers had been scheduled to compete on Nov. 8 vs. Paul Buentello during a planned EliteXC event in Reno, Nevada but the entire card was canceled follow ProElite’s decision to suspend operations. A proposed fight vs. Josh Barnett during Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” in January was never finalized after ProElite and Affliction became embattled in an argument over territorial issues such as who would own the television rights to the fight.

Updated: Strikeforce Vice President Mike Afromowtiz contacted FiveOuncesOfPain.com on Wednesday to indicate that while Rogers is considered likely to appear on the April 11 card, Humphries has not been formally signed as an opponent. While Five Ounces of Pain stands by its sources close to the fight which claims an agreement was made for a Rogers vs. Humphries fight, Afromowitz expressed that there is a possibility the fight may not happen.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news on Saturday with a source close to Rogers’ camp. As of now, Rogers’ participation is not official as bout agreements have yet to be presented. However, several options for opponents have been discussed and his addition to the card could be finalized shortly.

Strikeforce and Showtime are looking to fill the fifth and final slot of the televised portion of its April 11 event at the HP Pavilion due to the fact that a planned welterweight bout between Jake Shields and Joe Riggs was scrapped after Strikeforce officials decided to move Shields into a headlining slot in May against former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler.

If tapped to compete on short notice, Rogers is expected to be ready as word from inside his camp is that his training was going extremely well in preparation for May. In an effort to expand his game, Rogers has also added a jiu-jitsu coach and has been receiving additional instruction regarding submissions.

One of many fighters caught in limbo after ProElite suspended operations last October, Rogers has not competed since recording a first round knockout over Jon Murphy on May 31 of last year. The historic fight vs. Murphy served as the first-ever mixed martial arts fight to be televised live on prime-time network television as a part of CBS’ Saturday Night Fights franchise. The win improved Rogers’ official record to 8-0 including notable wins under the EliteXC banner against James Thompson and Ralph Kelly.

Rogers had been scheduled to compete on Nov. 8 vs. Paul Buentello during a planned EliteXC event in Reno, Nevada but the entire card was canceled follow ProElite’s decision to suspend operations. A proposed fight vs. Josh Barnett during Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” in January was never finalized after ProElite and Affliction became embattled in an argument over territorial issues such as who would own the television rights to the fight.

Affliction’s Jan. 24 show, titled “Day of Reckoning,” will air on Showtime pay-per-view and will emanate from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event will be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko defending the WAMMA heavyweight title vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Barnett has been advertised for the event but no opponent has been announced. While a deal is not yet in place with Rogers, sources indicate that the promotion’s preferrence is to sign the 8-0 Minnesota native.

Barnett is a former UFC heavyweight champion and is ranked as a top ten heavyweight by MMA Weekly, Sherdog, and the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA).

Nicknamed the “Babyface Assassin,” Barnett has not competed since a second round knockout over former UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo during Affliction’s debut event, “Banned,” on July 19.

The former PRIDE superstar is 23-5 during a professional fighting career that began in 1997. In that time, Barnett has recorded notable victories over Randy Couture, Dan Severn, Semmy Schilt, Hidehiko Yoshida, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, and current interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Rogers, a member of Team Bison MMA in St. Paul, is still under contract to EliteXC. Despite not being a free agent, he would be allowed to compete at the Jan. 24 event as ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, is giving permission to many of its fighters to sign one-off deals with other promotions while it helps to reorganize.

The 6’5” bruiser is 3-0 while competing under the EliteXC banner. Rogers made his debut for the promotion during the undercard of its “Renegade” event last November, where he submitted Ralph Kelly via punches at 1:43 of round 1.

Following the Kelly victiory, he returned to the cage during EliteXC’s “Street Certified” event and he improved to 2-0 in EliteXC following a first round knockout over James Thompson in Showtime’s televised opener of the event.

From there, Rogers became one of two men to compete in the first-ever mixed martial arts bout to be televised live on primetime network television on May 31. Matched up against former Syracuse linebacker Jon Murphy during the opener of EliteXC and CBS’ first-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights,” the former tire technician improved to 8-0 overall with a first round knockout.

Rogers has not competed since the win over Murphy but had been scheduled to return to competition on Nov. 8. He was set to fight Paul Buentello during EliteXC’s ill-fated Reno event that was canceled after Showtime pulled a financial commitment. Incidentally, Buentello is also scheduled for the Jan. 24 show in a bout vs. Fedor Emelianenko-protege, Kiril “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov.

This second statement from the Rogers camp is in response to a rebuttal that had been issued by Team Kimbo late last week.

Below is the response to the response, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t crash the site:

OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE CAMP OF BRETT ROGERS

We laughed and laughed and then laughed some more… then sort of forgot what we were laughing about and then we remembered and laughed some more; grabbed a bag of Doritos and those KICK ASS brownies they sell at Costco (they fucking rule!) and came up with this response that Kimbo will understand.

With all the talk and about the Kimbo situation let me be Blunt. I would hate to see this whole deal go up in Smoke when Kenny hammers Kimbo. We don’t want to be a Chronic pest; like a Roach on a white rug but we want our shot. Now far be it from us to Harsh anyone’s Buzz so we will be nicer in our comments going forward.

My Auntie Mary Jane said what the world needs is more Tender Huggin Care (THC). So before any bridges get burnt we will put a lid on the negative. We are not just going to huff and puff; we will just wait ’till the numbers are right and then we will get out from behind the 8-ball, jump from limbo and just hope it happens sometime before Kimbo B-40. Right now I know a lot of hoppers be looking at us with Chinese Eyes wondering if we will set the whole world a blaze. But we like they will just have to wait and while our desire to hear the bell go bam grows like a weed; we will just lay in the grass biding our time with our buds.

Thanks

– Team Bison on behalf of Brett Rogers

P.S. Damn it is 4:20… I gots to go… Anyone see Kimbo tell him I said HIGH-HIGH

To read the first statement from the camp of Brett Rogers, click here.

To read the response from Team Kimbo to the Rogers camp, click here.

We contacted Icey Mike, the manager for Slice, who issued a response that differed greatly from that of Rogers. The nature of Team Kimbo’s response evoked the old proverb that says “A picture can tell a 1,000 words,” as Icey Mike only requested that we run a picture with a simple one line of text below as Kimbo’s official response:

“Rogers, don’t quit your day job.”

The response is a reference to Rogers’ former vocation as a tire repairman at a Minneapolis-area Sam’s Club, where he worked up until this past January before quitting so that he could pursue mixed martial arts on a full-time basis.

(Photo By Esther Lin)