Brett Rogers Signs with Bellator

It seems like a decade ago that Brett Rogers took his 10-0 record into a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. In reality, only two-and-a-half years have passed.

Rogers' MMA career took a nosedive after his loss to Emelianenko. Over his last five fights, Rogers has a record of 1-4, with his only win coming against Ruben Villareal, who owns a career record of 20-24.

Now it appears Rogers is going to try and put his career back on the map. MMAFighting.com is reporting that Rogers has signed with Bellator. His first fight will take place on June 22 at Bellator 71.

Rogers is saying all the right things as he heads into his first fight with Bellator:

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"Over the past year I have been challenged in my personal life, but all is now good in the Rogers family. Everyone makes mistakes in life but it's how you recover that really counts. I spend every day with my wife and kids and enjoy every minute of it. Fighting is my job and I love it, but I also love my family and that's why I made things right before returning to the cage. All I can say is get ready for a new and improved Brett Rogers."

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One has to be encouraged whenever somebody claims to have worked out personal issues, but it doesn't mean Rogers' recent poor performance in the cage was entirely due to distractions.

Was the 10-0 start to Rogers' career legitimate, or was it simply a case of him being matched up against inferior opponents? If he is going to add credibility to his career, it's going to start at Bellator 71.

Joe Chacon is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a Staff Writer for Operation Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.