Bellator 125's Brian Rogers: I'll beat anyone, including powerless Shlemenko

Bellator middleweight Brian Rogers speaks like he fights, aggressively and in your face.

Despite four losses in as many tries in previous Bellator tourneys, the 30-year-old veteran is convinced he’s the uncrowned king of his division.

“I feel like, when I’m on, there’s no one I can’t beat in my division,” he told MMAjunkie. “If you want to do a straight boxing match? I’ll beat anybody in this division. If you want to do a straight kickboxing match? I’ll beat anyone in this division, including Alexander Shlemenko, because he has no punching power.

“I also feel like I’m the best athlete in my division. People sleep on my wrestling skills too – I played football in college, but I could’ve wrestled in college as well. When I fought Vitor Vianna, who’s a jiu-jitsu world champion black belt, I launched him with an uchi mata. The only time I’ve been taken down in Bellator was against Mikkel Parlo when I missed a throw and he countered. jiu-jitsu wise, you’re not gonna hold me down or pass my guard. No one has really put me there so I haven’t been able to show it to anyone.

“If we’re doing a create a video game character thing, who is better than me physically in the division? No one.”

Indeed, Rogers is one of the most physical players in the Viacom-owned promotion. Whether on the winning or losing end of a fight, he is always swinging for the fences and looking to bullrush opponents. Lately, he’s tried to widen his skill set to measure his aggression, but he said that doesn’t mean he’s turned into a boring fighter.

“The difference with me now is that I consider myself ‘The Professional Predator’ because I’ve evolved,” he said. “I’m much more tactical now. I’m not just a blind maniac that tries to go out and kill anything standing in front of me – I’m going to stalk people and prey on them, and I’m more of a tactical type of predator at this point of my career.

“I’m looking to hunt you down. I’m looking to do extreme amounts of damage to get the job done. When I get in the zone, I see red, green and yellow when I’m tracking my prey. No one lights it up in the Bellator cage like I do. It’s time to go. I want a title shot. It’s going to be hard work and it’s going to require me to leave a lot of bodies on the floor. But, one by one, it’s going to add up to a title shot. I’m going to turn some heads and rack up some very violent finishes, where like, people’s careers are going to change. I’ve done that before, where fighters aren’t the same after they fight me. Getting knocked out that clean can change a man.”

Just ask his most recent opponent Adrian Miles, who succumbed to a flying knee at Bellator 119 in May.

Rogers’ next fight at Friday’s Bellator 125 doesn’t come under the most ideal circumstances. First scheduled to fight tourney veteran Brett Cooper, he was rescheduled to meet James Irvin, who subsequently withdrew from the event and was replaced by the relative unknown Rafael Carvalho (9-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

The Brazilian co-headlines the event with Rogers (11-6 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., with main-card fights on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

“I needed a fight and he stepped forward, but I wanted a fight that moved me closer to the title,” Rogers said. “Looking at the main event on the card we’re fighting on – Melvin Manhoef vs. Doug Marshall – that’s the kind of name I need to move closer to the title. So this doesn’t necessarily do a ton for me. I mean, it’s a win and you can’t lose when you’re looking for a title shot, but the name value has definitely gone down with my change of opponents.

“I plan to stand up with him and knock him out. I’m confident that I can knock him out too.”

More knockouts are great, of course, but consistency is likely the thing standing between Rogers and a title shot. He’s an electrifying fighter when he’s on, so earning the attention of matchmakers won’t be a problem if he’s able to navigate challenges that don’t play into his strengths as a bull-rusher.

Rogers knows he’s only got so many opportunities left, though he has a chance to make a good impression with new Bellator President Scott Coker at the helm.

“Skill is a big part of this game, but being bigger and stronger applies as well,” he said. “I think I’m stronger and more experienced, and that will all add into my improved skill-set. Honestly, it’s a really bad time for him to fight me. I originally had James Irvin and then Brett Cooper, and now Carvalho, who doesn’t have a name. He might be a champion down the road but no one knows him now, so I gotta punish him for taking this fight.”

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