PRO MMA (promma.info) and other members of the media participated in a STRIKEFORCE conference call on Thursday in which Elite XC veteran, Brett Rogers and Iron Ring competitor, “Abongo” Humphrey fielded questions on a number of topics regarding their upcoming heavyweight bout on April 11th as part of the STRIKEFORCE: SHAMROCK vs. DIAZ card that will air on SHOWTIME.
BRETT ROGERS:
On what we can expect from him on April 11:
“I’m always going to have an aggressive fight and put my hand on the person and just try to get in and get out. I had the chance to evolve some techniques that I believe will stand out as far as the MMA world goes. I’ve had a chance to work on my muay thai and my ground game because those are some things that I haven’t had a chance to show because my fights have usually only lasted a minute. You may see more of that from me depending on how the fight is going.”
On how he’s preparing for “Abongo” with limited tape?
“There is not a lot of tape out there but what I’ve seen is that he likes to kick. At this new gym I’ve been working out with a lot of guys who do muay thai so I am preparing myself for a guy that likes to kick. So if that’s his style then he’s going to bump into a little bit of a problem because I’m a big guy but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a slow guy. And just because I’m big doesn’t necessarily mean my gas tank is going to be low. He said he was 12-0 but I’ve only found like two or three tapes.”
On the prospect of fighting Kimbo Slice in the future:
“I knew this question was going to pop up. You know what, it’s like this: I will fight anybody at anytime. Kimbo knows how to contact me. If he still wants to get in the ring then he knows my number. It’s that easy. It’s not that hard. I’m not going to hunt him down. I thought he was going to win his last fight in the first round and then he got beat by somebody that’s not even in his weight class. That was just mind-boggling to me. He knows how to get in contact with me. As far as everybody who is above me, I’m hunting for them. Because I know how this business is. You have to beat someone that is better than you to make yourself that much better and to move up the mountain.”
“ABONGO” HUMPHREY:
What can the MMA fans expect from you?
“I’m coming in at around 245 pounds. You can expect a lot of movement…I like to move and I like to mix it up. I definitely like to stand up and strike. I’m a new talent and I think I’m pretty multi-faceted. I’m kind of like Brett in that a lot of my fights haven’t gotten past my hands and my legs so they haven’t really had a chance to see my ground game. Hopefully this fight they’ll get a chance to see that. If not, then the fight will end with a punch or a kick.”
What does your experience on the television show “Iron Ring” mean to you and what did you learn from that?
“That’s a good question. My experience on “Iron Ring” was fascinating. I faced some pretty good opponents there. I think if you look at the ratings the shows did very well and was comparable to the Ulitmate Fighting reality show. The guys on that show definitely have something to offer the guys in the MMA world.”