Arlovski vs Rogers Set For Strikeforce
by Robert Sargent
Stepping in on short notice, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski will face undefeated knockout artist Brett "The Grim" Rogers in the co-main event of the upcoming June 6th Strikeforce event, airing live on Showtime.
Arlovski (15-6-0) will be looking to get back on the winning track when he meets Rogers (9-0-0), after suffering a first-round knockout loss against Fedor Emelianenko.
To Arlovski's credit, he did well in the opening minutes of his fight with Emelianenko and displayed impressive boxing and agility, but the loss snapped a five-fight winning streak that included victories over Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson and Ben Rothwell. In Rogers, Arlovski will be facing a much larger opponent who possesses devastating knockout power in both hands.
Rogers quietly made a name for himself with two quick victories in EliteXC, then became a star in the promotion after calling out former EliteXC poster boy Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson. The fight with Ferguson never materialised, but that didn't stop Rogers from racking up a one-minute knockout win over Jon Murphy. When EliteXC folded, Rogers moved to the Strikeforce promotion, where he defeated Ron Humphrey by second-round TKO. A victory over Arlovski would immediately vault Rogers into title contention.
Arlovski, on the other hand, is splitting his time between Strikeforce and the Affliction promotion, and it is unclear where he will go after the fight with Rogers. Should he defeat Rogers, a future bout with Josh Barnett or another top Affliction heavyweight would seem likely, though a stay in Strikeforce would mean a crack at Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem. A loss, however, would be detrimental to Arlovski's career. With his questionable chin and Rogers's ample power, this result is by no means out of the question.
Another issue of note is that Arlovski is planning to make his professional boxing debut at the end of June. A loss to Rogers, especially via knockout, could heavily jeopardise the bout, if not a career in boxing altogether. Having said that, most would agree that Arlovski is one of the most technical boxers in mixed martial arts, and will be the crisper puncher against Rogers. Whether that matters or not, only time will tell.
Arlovski vs Rogers will serve as the co-main event at Strikeforce: "Lawler vs Shields" on June 6th, which is headlined by a catchweight bout between final EliteXC Middleweight Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler and final EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields. The event airs live on Showtime.
