Rogers: Fedor Can Get ‘Sloppy’
Loretta Hunt Sep 4, 2009
Brett
Rogers said he’ll be banking on Fedor
Emelianenko’s technical lapses when he faces the world’s
top-ranked heavyweight in Strikeforce sometime in October or
November.
The bout, the first of three Emelianenko has agreed to with Strikeforce, was announced -- sans a date and venue -- by the San Jose-based promotion last week.
“There’s loopholes in everybody’s game, and in his game, the way I
see it, he can sometimes get a little sloppy,” Rogers
told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “The Jordan Breen Show” last
week. “He is a patient guy, but when he feels that he has to
give, he kind of rushes it a little bit. Just on that, I can kinda
set him up for a knockout just by faking an injury or something,
just jump in and out his offense a little more than not. Hit and
move. Hit and move.”
Rogers, 29, earned his shot against the No. 1-ranked Emelianenko after knocking out former top-three contender Andrei Arlovski in 22 seconds at a Strikeforce event last June. And though the Minnesota native will give the vaunted Russian a hefty 6-foot-5, 265-pound plus package to handle, many are skeptical Rogers can re-create the shocking upset he scored against Arlovski.
“I feel good about the fight,” he said. “(It’s) definitely a step up in competition once again. Fedor, he’s definitely done and proved to the world that he’s capable of doing whatever he needs to to get the job done. That right there –- that’s the type of fighter that I’m looking forward to fighting because it’s all about testing your might and he’s definitely got it to test.”
Strikeforce brass has gone to great lengths to keep the bout’s date and venue considerations under wraps until its final decision is made.
Even the man facing the formidable Emelianenko said he’s been kept in the dark.
“I’m really not sure (of the date),” said Rogers, who began preparing a couple of weeks ago for the bout. “I’m guessing sometime (in) October, November.”
One potential location that has passed the lips of a few Strikeforce fighters has been St. Paul, Minn., the city Rogers hails from.
“I definitely would love a hometown fight for a couple of reasons,” said Rogers. “One, I haven’t fought in my hometown and two, Minnesota is an MMA state.”
Training without a conclusion date can be problematic, though Rogers said the lack of information hasn’t hindered his hunger for the bout.
“I’m on a six- or seven-hour a day training cycle,” said Rogers, who trains at Ambition Training Academy in Eagan, Minn. “As long as I’m in the gym, conditioning, doing what I need to do up until the fight, I’m that much more confident. When I get to that point, I just don’t care. I’m a dangerous fighter.”
In addition to his bread-and-butter striking, Rogers said his training has focused on conditioning and jiu-jitsu.
“I’ve been working mostly with the defense, because that’s one of his offenses,” said Rogers. “Everybody’s questioning my ground game. I’ve been working the ground just as well as I’ve been working (the striking).”
The bout, the first of three Emelianenko has agreed to with Strikeforce, was announced -- sans a date and venue -- by the San Jose-based promotion last week.
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Rogers, 29, earned his shot against the No. 1-ranked Emelianenko after knocking out former top-three contender Andrei Arlovski in 22 seconds at a Strikeforce event last June. And though the Minnesota native will give the vaunted Russian a hefty 6-foot-5, 265-pound plus package to handle, many are skeptical Rogers can re-create the shocking upset he scored against Arlovski.
Rogers, who’s won all ten of his bouts with his fists, isn’t one of
them.
“I feel good about the fight,” he said. “(It’s) definitely a step up in competition once again. Fedor, he’s definitely done and proved to the world that he’s capable of doing whatever he needs to to get the job done. That right there –- that’s the type of fighter that I’m looking forward to fighting because it’s all about testing your might and he’s definitely got it to test.”
Strikeforce brass has gone to great lengths to keep the bout’s date and venue considerations under wraps until its final decision is made.
Even the man facing the formidable Emelianenko said he’s been kept in the dark.
“I’m really not sure (of the date),” said Rogers, who began preparing a couple of weeks ago for the bout. “I’m guessing sometime (in) October, November.”
One potential location that has passed the lips of a few Strikeforce fighters has been St. Paul, Minn., the city Rogers hails from.
“I definitely would love a hometown fight for a couple of reasons,” said Rogers. “One, I haven’t fought in my hometown and two, Minnesota is an MMA state.”
Training without a conclusion date can be problematic, though Rogers said the lack of information hasn’t hindered his hunger for the bout.
“I’m on a six- or seven-hour a day training cycle,” said Rogers, who trains at Ambition Training Academy in Eagan, Minn. “As long as I’m in the gym, conditioning, doing what I need to do up until the fight, I’m that much more confident. When I get to that point, I just don’t care. I’m a dangerous fighter.”
In addition to his bread-and-butter striking, Rogers said his training has focused on conditioning and jiu-jitsu.
“I’ve been working mostly with the defense, because that’s one of his offenses,” said Rogers. “Everybody’s questioning my ground game. I’ve been working the ground just as well as I’ve been working (the striking).”
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