Brian Rogers (fighter) facts for kids

Brian Rogers, born on February 15, 1984, is an American mixed martial artist. This means he competes in a sport that combines different fighting styles. He currently fights in the Light Heavyweight division. Before this, he also competed in the Middleweight division. Brian Rogers has fought for major organizations like Bellator and Strikeforce. He started his professional career in 2008.

Brian Rogers: A Fighter's Journey

Growing Up and Sports

Brian Rogers grew up in Kent, Ohio. When he was in high school at Theodore Roosevelt High School, he was a talented athlete. He played football, wrestled, and even threw the shot put.

After high school, Brian went to Walsh University. He continued to play football there as an inside linebacker. He was a key player for four years, from 2002 to 2005. Brian was recognized as one of the best players in his conference twice. He left Walsh University with the second-highest number of tackles in the school's history.

Brian earned a degree in education from Walsh University. Later, he got his master's degree in education from the University of Akron. He started training in mixed martial arts in 2006.

Starting His MMA Career

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is a full-contact combat sport. It allows fighters to use techniques from various martial arts. These include striking (like punches and kicks) and grappling (like wrestling and jiu-jitsu).

Early Fights

Brian Rogers' professional MMA career had a tough start. He won only one of his first three fights. However, he quickly turned things around. He went on to win seven fights in a row! All of these wins were by knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) in the very first round. This impressive streak included his first fights in Strikeforce and Bellator.

Fighting in Strikeforce

Brian made his debut in Strikeforce on March 5, 2011. He fought at an event called Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson. In this fight, he defeated Ian Rammel by TKO in the first round.

Competing in Bellator MMA

Brian Rogers joined Bellator in 2011. He was part of the Bellator Season Five Middleweight Tournament. In his first tournament fight at Bellator 50, he won against Victor O'Donnell by TKO. This meant the referee stopped the fight because O'Donnell couldn't defend himself.

In the next round, Brian faced Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 54. He lost this fight by TKO in the second round.

In 2012, Brian was chosen for Bellator's Season 6 Middleweight Tournament. His first opponent was Vitor Vianna at Bellator 61. Brian won this fight with an amazing knockout (KO) in the first round. He used a flying knee, which is a very exciting move! This knockout became very popular online. It has been viewed over 12,000 times on YouTube. It is one of Bellator's most watched videos ever.

Brian was supposed to fight Bruno Santos next. But Santos had to pull out because of an injury. So, Brian fought Andreas Spang instead at Bellator 66. Brian was doing well for most of the first two rounds. But then, Spang landed a strong punch, and Brian lost by knockout.

Brian also competed in Bellator's Season Eight Middleweight tournament in 2013. He fought Dan Cramer at Bellator 89. Brian lost this fight by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges thought Cramer won more rounds.

Later that year, Brian was in the Bellator Season Nine Middleweight tournament. He fought Mikkel Parlo at Bellator 98. Again, Brian lost by unanimous decision.

In 2014, Brian had a couple of fights canceled. But he did fight Adrian Miles at Bellator 119. Brian won this fight with another impressive flying knee knockout in the second round.

He was then scheduled to fight James Irvin and then Brett Cooper. Both pulled out due to injuries. So, Brian fought Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 125. Brian lost this fight by TKO in the first round.

On April 10, 2015, Brian faced Joey Beltran at Bellator 136. He lost this fight by split decision. This means some judges thought Brian won, but most thought Beltran won.

Brian then moved to a heavier weight class, the Light Heavyweight division. He fought Virgil Zwicker at Bellator 147 on December 4, 2015. Brian won this fight by submission in the second round. A submission win happens when one fighter makes the other give up.

His next fight was against Alessio Sakara in Italy at Bellator 152 on April 16, 2016. Brian lost this fight by knockout in the second round.

Life Outside the Ring

For most of his MMA career, Brian Rogers trained at Strong Style MMA in Independence, Ohio. This gym is famous for being the home of Stipe Miocic, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Other well-known fighters like Jessica Eye also trained there.

In January 2014, Brian moved from Ohio to Denver, Colorado. He wanted to continue improving his MMA skills there. Brian has not competed in MMA since March 2017. Today, he works in business development and marketing.

Brian Rogers' Fight Record