Brian Rogers (fighter) facts for kids

Brian Rogers, born on February 15, 1984, is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division. Brian started his professional fighting career in 2008. He has competed for well-known organizations like Bellator and Strikeforce.

About Brian Rogers

Brian grew up in Kent, Ohio. He went to Theodore Roosevelt High School. There, he was active in sports. He wrestled, played football, and threw the shot put.

After high school, Brian played football for Walsh University. He was a key player from 2002 to 2005. He earned honors twice in the Mid States Football Association. Brian graduated with a degree in education. Later, he earned a master's degree in education from the University of Akron. He began training in mixed martial arts in 2006.

Brian's Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Starting His Career

Brian Rogers began his professional MMA career in 2008. His first two fights were losses by decision. But he quickly turned things around. He then won seven fights in a row. All these wins were by knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. This included his first fights in both Strikeforce and Bellator.

Fighting in Strikeforce

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

Competing in Bellator MMA

Brian joined the Bellator Season Five Middleweight Tournament in 2011. He won his first fight against Victor O'Donnell by TKO. In the next round, he faced Alexander Shlemenko and lost by TKO.

In 2012, Brian entered Bellator's Season 6 Middleweight Tournament. He won his first fight against Vitor Vianna with a knockout in the first round. This knockout was very exciting. It became one of Bellator's most popular videos online.

Later in that tournament, Brian fought Andreas Spang. He was doing well for most of the fight. However, he was caught by a punch and lost by KO. Brian also competed in Bellator's Season Eight and Season Nine Middleweight tournaments. He lost both of his quarterfinal fights by decision.

Brian continued to fight in Bellator. In May 2014, he won a fight against Adrian Miles. He won by a flying knee knockout in the second round. In September 2014, he faced Rafael Carvalho and lost by TKO. In April 2015, he fought Joey Beltran and lost by a close decision.

Brian then moved to the Light Heavyweight division. In December 2015, he won his first fight in this new weight class. He defeated Virgil Zwicker by submission in the second round. His last Bellator fight was in April 2016 in Italy. He lost to Alessio Sakara by knockout.

Life Outside the Ring

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

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

Mixed Martial Arts Record