Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Embattled heavyweight Josh Barnett(26-5) will look to salvage his career, facing Brett Rogers(11-2) in the 1st round of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament according to MMAfighting.

6th ranked Josh Barnett is one of those fighters who relishes the heel role. He continued to add to fans’ furor when he tested positive for anabolic steroids for a 3rd time. Barnett, once again denied all charges, as he had previously done in the past. Luckily for Barnett, a suspension in California would not apply to other state commissions, though he will be under considerable scrutiny to get a fighter’s license.

Brett Rogers(ranked 20th) has unfortunately been typecast as a “can” by many MMA fans, who dismissed Rogers’ skills after losses to Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko. Rogers is definitely not a can by any means, but he will face an uphill battle in this tournament.

Barnett’s going to have the advantage in almost every single area, so hopefully Rogers comes out swinging for the fences because otherwise he has little chance of winning this fight. Barnett has not been active due to his previously mentioned troubles with steroids, but is still a world class fighter due to his wrestling, submission skills, and knockout power.