Predatory Pursuits

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Brian Rogers stood at the foot of this mountain once before, so he understands its perils and potential rewards.

Rogers (8-3) will meet Vitor Vianna in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 6 middleweight tournament quarterfinals at Bellator 61 on Friday at The Riverdome at Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Bossier City, La. The 28-year-old partook in Bellator’s most recent middleweight draw in 2011 and advanced to the semifinals before succumbing to second-round knees from eventual tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko.

The setback snapped a seven-fight winning streak for Rogers, who did not leave the cage empty-handed. Though tough to swallow, the experience resulted in renewed drive and focus.

“By far the toughest thing to do in MMA is win three fights in three months,” Rogers told Sherdog.com. “You don’t have 12 weeks to game plan. If you’re tired and feeling run down, you don’t have time to recoup. You’re going back in that cage in 30 days or less, and there’s nothing you can do about it. There’s a lot of fighters out there that people consider ‘top fighters’ that aren’t winning three fights in a row with Bellator; it’s just not happening.”

Ousting Vianna will be no small feat. A two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and second-degree black belt in the discipline, the 32-year-old serves as the head BJJ instructor at the Wand Fight Team dojo in Las Vegas. Far from a one-trick pony, Vianna has shown a nose for the finish during his mixed martial arts career, with four wins by submission and five others by knockout or technical knockout. The Brazilian was a finalist in Bellator’s Season 5 tournament and, like Rogers, bowed out to Shlemenko.

“Vitor is a really tough guy and I’ve spent a little bit of time talking to him in the past, so I have a lot of respect for him,” Rogers said. “He’s a humble guy, and I think his head’s in the right place and I know he works really hard. That being said, I see him as a great opportunity for me due to the fact that he was the runner-up in last season’s tournament and a lot of people see him as one of the top middleweights in the world. I’m just excited to be able to go out there and knock him off that pedestal.”

If past performance serves as an indication, Rogers will not waste time once he enters the cage. He has stopped eight opponents inside the first round, four of them in two minutes or less. Ideally, the Strong Style Fight Team representative wants to keep the fight upright.

“Going to the ground with a former world jiu-jitsu champion like Vitor is definitely something you want to avoid,” Rogers said. “At the same time, we’re not out there wearing a gi, either. If this was a straight jiu-jitsu match, I’d be a lot more worried about it than I am right now. Because this is an MMA fight, he’s going to have to get me on the ground first.

“I need to fight a smart fight against Vitor,” he added. “Anytime you fight a guy that’s a really high-level grappler like Vitor, you don’t want to go out there and lead with any really big punches or kicks that are going to expose you to possibly getting taken down. So, I just have to fight smart and balanced, but that’s really how I always fight.”

Rogers respects the people with which Vianna has surrounded himself, including former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva. However, he believes the Brazilian icon’s impact only goes so far.

“He may spend a lot of time sparring with Wanderlei, but Wanderlei and I are very different strikers,” Rogers said. “With me, I throw very straight punches, where Wanderlei likes to throw those big, powerful hooks. Show me a fight where Wanderlei throws a straight right hand. I definitely think I’m a little bit of a cleaner striker with my boxing than Wanderlei.”

A three-year starter at inside linebacker for the Walsh University football team in North Canton, Ohio, Rogers views himself as the superior athlete and believes his physical tools will be a determining factor in finishing Vianna and advancing to the semifinals.

“I’m not just one of the most explosive guys in the tournament, but I think I’m one of the most explosive guys in MMA -- period,” he said. “If I come out in the fight against Vitor a little overly patient, I see it ending in the second round. Otherwise, I don’t see him making it out of the first.”

Rogers sees the tournament as another chance to launch himself into stardom.

“I don’t really feel like I get the respect I deserve from the MMA community,” he said. “The hardcore fans know who I am, but I’m looking to prove that I’m one of the top fighters in the world by winning this tournament. You can talk all the trash you want and say anything heading into a fight, but, in the end, you have to perform. That’s exactly what I’m preparing to do. I just want to perform the way I know I can so when people hear the name ‘Brian Rogers,’ they respect me as one of the best in the sport.”