Penick's Take
PENICK: Brett Rogers vs. Fedor Emelianenko - simply a great fight for Strikeforce
Aug 26, 2009 - 6:41:28 PM PENICK: Brett Rogers vs. Fedor Emelianenko - simply a great fight for Strikeforce

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Brett Rogers is getting the nod as the first fighter in Strikeforce to face the newly acquired Fedor Emelianenko. For Strikeforce, they had a few options in front of them as opponents for "The Last Emperor's" debut with the organization, with Rogers, Fabricio Werdum and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem the three options fans would have found acceptable. They went with Rogers, and it was the right choice for them more than anything.

"The Grim" Rogers has looked increasingly impressive in high profile situations on CBS and Showtime, and yet has still been seemingly overlooked at many turns. He called out Kimbo Slice after the first EliteXC on CBS event, rightfully professing that he'd beat the much overhyped YouTube sensation the organization was pushing as their centerpiece. Whereas Kimbo went out that night and took a questionable TKO over James Thompson in the main event, a fighter Rogers had taken out in half a round, Rogers became the first victorious MMA fighter on primetime network television when he blasted through Jon Murphy in just over a minute.

He was stuck in limbo when Pro Elite closed it's doors and returned to action in April for Strikeforce on Showtime, taking out Abongo Humphrey in the second round, the only one of his ten fights to get past the first frame. Then in June he shocked the world by decimating Andrei Arlovski, the same Arlovski who had looked good against Fedor for three minutes in January before getting knocked out in Affliction, in eleven seconds. Many believed it was the coming out of Rogers as a top talent, many still believed he was simply hype and continued to downplay his accomplishment.

He was deserving of a title shot against Alistair Overeem following the Arlovski victory, but once more was overlooked as Fabricio Werdum was set to get the nod before Overeem eventually pulled out. When Fedor's fight with Josh Barnett was canceled, Rogers was one of the front runners to replace Barnett, and was the fighter Fedor personally expressed interest in fighting. It was a small modicum of respect that Rogers hasn't seemed to get from many places yet.

But back to this match up. It makes perfect sense for Strikeforce as a promotion because they have a guy in Rogers who can be a big star for their company, and they have the best fighter in the world taking on a guy that will be viewed as a legitimate competitor. Were Rogers to somehow pull off a victory and shock the world once again, he'd instantly become a megastar and would become one of the big name guys for Strikeforce. Hell, even if he loses he can gain respect and stardom by a strong performance. Just surviving past the first round will prove more than Fedor's last few opponents.

If Rogers looks good in this fight and Fedor wins, Strikeforce wins as well, because they will have introduced Fedor against a guy that the fans have seen before, and a guy who has crushed competition in front of a mega audience. The argument can be made that he should get a Title shot immediately, and it's an argument I made when Fedor first signed earlier this month, but if you set a fight up with Fabricio Werdum against Alistair Overeem, Fedor can challenge the winner for Strikeforce's Heavyweight Championship and will be known even further by the Showtime subscribers who will have seen him fight at least once before.

It's just simply a smart first fight to put together for Strikeforce, as Rogers will be a challenge and will prove a formidable opponent despite what some naysayers are already spouting. Should Rogers then do the unthinkable and take out Fedor, Strikeforce has a "homegrown" star that has taken out the so-called "best in the world." It's just the right fight to take place this fall and will have fans anticipating Fedor's debut even more.

There's no losing in this situation, unless they completely drop the ball on marketing this fight, in which case that failure would be on them. Rogers deserves this fight as much as anyone else on Strikeforce's roster, and if he defeats the Fedor he'll no longer be waiting on the sidelines for respect, he'll have it from everyone. If Fedor gets past him like he'll be expected to do, it will be a successful debut and he'll get prepared next for a Title fight. This one should be a blast once it takes place, and you can guarantee people will want to see it.