The 28-year-old father of three kids needed just 22 seconds to get the better of the experienced Andrey Arlovsky of Belarus during his last fight in June.

But the American is still considered an underdog against former Strikeforce and Pride FC heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

"I hear all the talk, but until we get it on, that's all it is. People keep saying that if he takes me down to the floor, the fight is over, but if he tries to take me down he's going to take some hammers to the face. Look, I know Fedor can bang, the whole world does, but I am confident in my abilities and I'm not shy. If I was, I wouldn't have taken this fight," Rogers added.

Rogers and Emelianenko are to enter the cage on Saturday, November 7 as the main event a 10-fight Strikeforce card held in the US.

The top-ranked heavyweight in the MMA Rankings, Emelianenko put his signature on a deal with Strikeforce – the US-based mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing organization – this August, after his rival at the Affliction: “Trilogy”, Josh Barnett, was caught on drugs and the bout was cancelled.

And the Russian says he’s planning to continue holding fights on American soil.

"I'm planning on performing in the US, definitely next year. I know for sure I'll have two more fights in the United States next year and then we'll see how the contract works. Maybe I'll sign another contract," Fedor Emelianenko said.

If Emelianenko beats Rogers, his next opponent will either be Alistair Overeem or the winner of the fight between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva, who also face each other on Saturday.