Brett Heart: Rogers on Fedor

There are some people who are going to need a lot of convincing that Brett Rogers is a suitable contender for Fedor Emelianenko’s best-fighter-in-the-history-of-ever crown. And if they can’t muster it, then maybe they’ll at least appreciate the effort: Newsday spoke with Rogers recently, and his stature as a blue-collar entry came through loud and clear.

"Don't [piss] off a family guy," Rogers said. "This right now, this is what puts food on the table. I have to get in there and try to knock your head off. I don't care how it's going to go down, but that's all I'm thinking about."

What happens to Rogers if he performs the unlikely feat of dethroning Emelianenko? Probably an immediate rematch. Less cynicism? OK: more than likely, a bout with Fabricio Werdum, and -- later -- Roger Gracie, a name Strikeforce signed months ago but has been unable to exploit until recently.

A better question: what happens to Strikeforce?