Demico Rogers

On Sept 16th, the world will be introduced to Northwest Mixed Martial Artist, Demico Rogers, who joins 15 other Heavyweights on The Ultimate Fighter reality series to be aired on Spike TV. TUF Season 10 features notable athletes such as the notorious Kimbo Slice, former IFL Heavyweight Champ Roy Nelson, former UFC contender Wes Sims, former NFL standout Marcus Jones, & 3 other former NFL players. All 16 of these Heavyweights enter The Ultimate Fighter house with the goal of winning their fights against each other in the house, and then the two finalists fighting live on Spike in the season finale on December 5th with the winner being declared "The Ultimate Fighter" and netting a six figure contract from the UFC.

NW Fightscene sat down with Demico inside the confines of the Ring Sports United gym in Bellevue, Washington where he spoke about his road to getting on the show and a whole lot more...

NW Fightscene: You've made it on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 with the Heavyweights. And the show just got finished taping?
Demico Rogers: Yeah, I've been home a couple weeks. We were down there for six weeks in Las Vegas. And then we had to stay a couple extra days for the UFC 100 Expo.

NWFS: And it will be aired in September?
Rogers: Yeah, the premiere is September 16th. They're having a UFC Fight Night right before that so it'll be UFC Fight Night live and then the Season Premiere of the TUF Heavyweights. 

NWFS: Obviously you under contract with the UFC for the show and there are certain things you can talk about and certain things you can't. And that's interesting in and of itself. So what things can't you talk about?
Rogers: Can't talk about who won. Who won their fights, who lost their fights, how many times we had to fight. Can't talk about the specifics of what went on in the house but I can give the general idea. They're were injuries, there was drinking, there was fighting, stuff like that. But I cant say who. Can't say if anyone got eliminated or got kicked out of the house. You know, stuff like that. That's pretty much it. I don't know if I can talk about money wise what we made. But it was a good experience you know. I can talk about some pretty exciting stuff. 

NWFS: Can you talk about some of the personalities of the other guys? 
Rogers: Oh yeah, tons of very interesting personalities. I give the producers a lot of credit. They picked 16 very different guys. All of us came from all different walks of life, have all different kind of backgrounds. Half are married, half weren't. There were ages from 22 all the way up to 36. So very diverse group from all over the country. North Dakota, Seattle, Florida, Texas, everywhere. We had one guy from England. They were really good at picking grapplers, well-rounded guys, strikers, wrestlers, Muay Thai guys. It was an awesome group. I couldn't believe that they put such a diverse group together. When we all got there we didn't really know what to expect. Once you got to know the guys you realized how different we all really were.

 Demico Rogers def Jonathan Wilson by Armbar @ 0:27 Rd 1

AX Fighting Championships # 19 - 12/8/07

NWFS: You're with these guys for six weeks. Who'd you make friends with?
Rogers: I made friends with a lot of guys on both teams. The teams we had our rivalries obviously but we all kind of had an understanding for the first half of the show to keep it pretty civil in the house. We all understood that we were all here on business, but we also have to live together. We're going to have to sleep in the same rooms, we're going to have to eat next to each other, wash dishes, things like that. So we really tried to keep it pretty civilized in the house. About half way through, rumors kind of started flying around and guys started getting sick of each other and stuff kind of changed. But for the first half, sure everyone had a really mature approach to it. Lets have fun, lets have a good time but at the same time we're going to have to live together so that made it pretty easy.

NWFS: Who stands out in your mind in terms of the other guys?
Rogers: You know, probably the biggest character in the house has to be, just overall, is Wes Sims. Wes Sims is a nut. He's crazy. He's a good fighter but he was going crazy in the house. I though a few times that he was going to lose it, but he held it together pretty well. He was just fun to be around, he made it funny. He was always making people laugh. Always cracking jokes, always picking on people. Always had something to say so he kept it pretty fun.

NWFS: You had a couple of the guys that were ex-NFL guys...
Rogers: Actually 4.

NWFS: I think that must have added a lot to the dynamic with professional athletes coming into this environment. How did you see that?
Rogers: It was cool. It was interesting to meet the guys already coming off professional careers. All those guys had a pretty mature approach to it. But they all really seemed to like fighting more than they liked football. That was a chapter in their life but they're done with, and it seemed like they were happy to be done with it. They really enjoyed fighting. The standout NFL player was probably Marcus Jones as far as he was in the league the longest. And he did not like football anymore. He didn't watch it. He didn't know who was on who's team. I mean he was done with football. He's a true fighter now and I respect that. He made a lot of money in his career and he's not doing this for the money. A lot of us our here to support our families and make a career out of this, but he's fine. He paid cash for his house and he's doing fine but he still in there. And he's like I don't care about the money, I'm here for the love of the sport. I can really respect that. And I am too to an extent, but I also want money. So I really respect that about him and all the guys. Everyone was there for their own purpose and they were real true and they fought really hard.

NWFS: Tell us about your entry into MMA. Your amateur record is...
Rogers: 4 and 0.

NWFS: I guess your first pro fight would be...
Rogers: In the house. (laughs) You know, I'll be honest. This kind of really all just happened. I got into training here at Ring Sports simply to stay in shape. I'd been lifting weights for a long time and I come from a football background, and lifting weights in your early to mid twenties gets boring. It gets old. I want to do something else and I'm a competitor and I'm not playing sports anymore. And I need to do something. So I found Ring Sports United. I thought I'd come in and hit the bag a little bit and do a little wrestling and that was it. So I did that and of course the second I got in here, my competitive edge came out and I wanted to get better at everything. Why can't I do this? Why can't I do that? Why am I not good at that? And that's just my competitive juices flowing. So I was here for three weeks and there was a local jiu-jitsu tournament coming up, Lockflow. So we went up there and I entered and won the Novice Heavyweight division after three weeks of training. So that got the ball rolling. So then I entered into the next Revolution tournament, won that. I went up to Canada, tried a pankration tournament and won that. Came back down and then I decided to take my first fight. Won that.

 Demico Rogers competing at The Revolution 11.10.07

 And like I said, it wasn't anything that I was like 'I have to be a fighter'. The thing about going into the [TUF] House was I had no idea. I didn't know if I could compete at this level. I didn't know if I belonged in the UFC. Now coming back, I know I can. Now I know I have what it takes. Is it going to take work to be at that top-tier, that Brock Lesner, Frank Mir level. Absolutely. But now going down there and training with these guys for six weeks and fighting with these guys, I know that I can compete at that level. And that's good because I didn't know that before. And I have good coaches behind me and I have a good family group behind me. I got a lot of people who are pushing me and want to see me succeed. And I know I can do it, so the skies the limit for me. I just have to be able to put in the time and effort, and we'll see where it takes me.

NWFS: When did you first walk into Ring Sports United?
Rogers: Probably about two years ago next month.

NWFS: So pretty fast.
Rogers: Yeah, pretty fast.

NWFS: Tell us about getting onto The Ultimate Fighter show.
Rogers: The process of getting on the show was actually pretty interesting. Because I didn't know anything about the UFC's TUF 10 tryouts being in Seattle. I had no idea. I was actually in Eastern Washington, my father had just passed away. And we didn't have too close a relationship growing up, so I was over there, mind on completely other things, and I started getting text messages. Hey, there's this Ultimate Fighter tryouts, Heavyweight tryouts over in Seattle on this date. And you know, my head was in other places, here my dad just died. I hadn't talked to him since I was in 9th grade. I'm you know... am I mad? Am I happy? Am I sad? Do I care? All these things are running through my head and all of a sudden here's this thing coming up. Ultimate Fighter tryouts. So we get the memo , talk to the coach, talk to Mark [Messer] about it. And he kind of gets excited about it. Like hey, why not? Its here. Its not like we have to travel so its kind of like a blessing in disguise. We didn't have to go anywhere. It was right here in our backyard. We had about a month to train for it, prepare for it and get ready. So that's what we did.

\Demico with coach Mark Messer at the TUF 10 tryouts

I got my cardio up. We worked pads everyday. We knew we were going to have to grapple. We knew we were going to have to work pads. We knew there was going to be an interview. So I practiced all that stuff. I took it very serious. Again, anything I do, I do 100 percent. And we took it very seriously. We got there, we were the first heavyweights in line. Heavyweight number one out of how ever many were there. We were the first ones there. We were the first ones to grapple. We were the first ones to do interviews and you know, I think it really paid off for us. We were prepared. But I had no idea I was actually going to make it. I didn't know. They said you had to have a pro record to tryout. So they said what's your record. I wrote 4 and 0. They didn't say what's your professional record. So technically I never lied to get on the show. They said what's your record. 4 and 0. And they said "Ok." So the grappling portion I did well. Figured out I probably won't get in, so whatever. Striking session, did well, and figured I probably wont get into the next one. Interview session, did well, and then the next thing I knew I was on a plane down to Vegas for final interviews, medicals, things like that. Passed those and then a couple weeks later I got a call saying I was in... I really didn't think I had a chance, not because I wasn't good enough but just because of my experience level. No one really knew who I was yet so I'm blessed to be there. But just for all the people out there that say "What is he doing there? He doesn't belong there". I never said that I deserved.. you know. I just worked hard and they chose me. You know. What do you want me to say, hey I don't have enough experience, please don't pick me, you know. I just did what I was supposed to do. I did my job and I got picked. And I made the best of it. That's all I can really say about it.

NWFS: You mentioned the opportunities to go train at other camps.
Rogers: Yeah. The coaches that everyone knows are Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Can't tell you which team I was on but I can tell you I became really good friends with both coaches. We had an opportunity towards the end as it was winding to down to train with the other team. And both coaches are very different but both very good guys. Very good coaching groups, Hector Ramirez and Quinton and all his coaches were really good. Hector's a really good wrestling coach, and on Rashad's side Greg Jackson of course. Trevor, I cant think of his last name and Rashad. They were really good. So it was really good to make friends with those guys and they both want me to come down and train with them so that's huge. I'm definitely going to take advantage of that. Up here in Seattle we don't have a ton of top notch guys, especially in the heavyweight division. You have to travel. You have to go around and get work, get good friends, and then you have to bring them back when you have a training camp. I think that's the key to taking your game to the next level.

Demico Rogers def Wil Ngotel by TKO (Ref Stoppage - Strikes) @ 0:47 Rd 1

Washington State Cage Fighting Championships - 5/31/08

NWFS: What was it like working with Spike and the UFC people?
Rogers: You know they were veterans. This is their 10th season so everything actually went really smooth. The crew was really cool. The cameramen. They couldn't talk to us but they were real nice, they were respectful. They didn't mess with us too much. They let us sleep, things like that. But they were there 24-7. They were really good about someone getting banged up and needing to go to the doctor, they got us right in. You need prescriptions, they'd get us right in. Fed us good. Got plenty of sleep, stuff like that. Gave us a lot of gear. They took really good care of us.

NWFS: Talk about here at Ring Sports United. Who are some of the guys here that have been helping you out?
Rogers: You know, a lot of guys have been helping me out at Ring Sports. Mark Messer, I believe is the best boxing coach here in Washington. I have no reason not to believe that. Joel Burris, my jiu-jitsu coach has been working for me for a year and a half, two years now. And he's really transitioned my wrestling into the jiu-jitsu game. And he's used my speed in my hips and he took my game and evolved it into what it is now. And my conditioning coach, Ryan Hoisington, Rapid Performance Training. He's the one that gets me into shape. He's the one that works on my explosiveness and he's the reason why I blow through these guys, and my explosiveness and my cardio and all that stuff. So I have to give him credit for that. And then my training partners. I have guys who are former college wrestlers. Riley McTaggart. He used to play hockey so he's tremendously strong, athletic, real strong legs. So he's tough to roll with. Dave. He goes in and just lets me beat the crap out of him. He's a good sport about it. Every time we spar he leaves with a bloody nose, black eye, and he always comes back for more so if it wasn't for those guys I wouldn't have the opportunities I have now. Those guys letting me beat up on them has really helped me out. And my coaches have really stuck by me and pushed me when I didn't want to come in and when I was tired, because the saw the potential in me. So I'm real grateful for that. 

Demico training at Ring Sports United 

NWFS: Are you originally from this area? 
Rogers: Yeah, born and raised. I was born in Seattle. I grew up in Renton, Washington. I went to Sierra Heights Elementary, McKnight Middle School, and I graduated from Hazen High School in '99.

NWFS: And you're married?
Rogers: Yep. I'm married to Corry Holme Rogers. Been married for a year September 26th. And we've been together seven years and she's great... My mid-twenties were a little wild. I had my party stage and she really kind of snapped me out of it and said what are you doing. What do you want to do with your life? And really got me focused on the potential that I truly have. So I'm really grateful for her. She's kept me out of trouble, and kept me focused, and kept me grounded through my career and my new fighting career.

NWFS: Do you have any sponsors?
Rogers: Working on it. Looking for them all the time. Little ones here and there. People that want to work with me. But I'm absolutely looking for sponsors. The ones I've talked to, the big guys, The Tapouts and the Warrior Wear, they took down my information and said they'll watch the show and give me a call. So I got some people on the back burner. Hoping to look for a manager and some sponsors. 

Demico Rogers def Jim Halloway by TKO (Ref Stoppage - Strikes) @ 1:22 Rd 2

Strikeforce at the Dome - 2/23/08 

NWFS: You obviously can't fight until December. What's your plan until then?
Rogers: Stay in shape. Travel around. Go visit those camps. See if I can spend some time in Rashad's camp. Go see if I can spend some time in Rampage's camp. And get better. Just get with those top notch guys. Guys who are better than me. Rampage has Cheick Kongo and big guys like that. Rampage is 235 himself, so they have big guys there. And Rashad's got Shane Carwin and guys of that nature. So there's big guys out there to train with, I just have to go find them. So that's what I'm going to do, that's how I'm going to keep busy. Try to stay in the gym, but not get burned out. Travel around and meet new people, and just get all the training I can. 

NWFS: Are you working at all?
Rogers: Yeah, I'm still at Mercedes-Benz in Bellevue. I've been there seven years. I'm Master Technician. And Barrier [Motors], I have to really give them a lot of credit. They've been really good through all of this. They gave me six weeks leave for the show. They've taken care of me as far as compensating me if I need to take time off for training for my fights. All my bosses, they all come to my fights. They're always front row, the first ones to buy tickets so they've been really supportive. And I'm working on them helping me out with some sponsorships. But they've been really supportive, and they've done more than enough already. So I'm real grateful for those guys because at the end of the day that's how my bills get paid. I have a mortgage and no kids yet, but fighting right now is second to my job. Until fighting is paying the bills, its going to have to stay that way.

NWFS: Do you have a nickname?
Rogers: Umm, kind of working on it. High school wrestling they called me Night Train. So I got some guys working on t-shirts saying Night Train across the back. So we'll see if it sticks I don't know. But that's kind of it right now as far as a nickname goes.

NWFS: Is that from wrestling or from after-hours activities?
Rogers: No, no. That's from wrestling. Slamming people and running through them. Night Train.

Demico Rogers def Eric Young by TKO (Ref Stoppage - Strikes) @ 0:31 Rd 1

Rumble At The Ridge - 1/10/09

Rogers becomes the Rumble on the Ridge Amateur Heavyweight Champion

NWFS: Who do you want to thank?
Rogers: I want to thank my family. My new family, my wife's family. Her dad, her mom have been really supportive through the whole thing. They were a little worried at first. They don't know me, they don't know the kind of competitive drive I have. I wouldn't have started this if I didn't know I could be good at it. I'm just not that kind of person. But they've been really supportive. They've really helped me out a lot. My mom, my family, my boss, my job, all my training partners. Ryan Mills, I forgot to throw him in there. Mark Messer. Ivan Salaverry's helped me out a little bit. Maurice Smith. I'm going to definitely spend some more time with those guys in the future. Those guys have been in the game and they know what its like. So I know they can definitely help me out. Also to Casey Holme & one to Joe DeRobbio.

 And all the fans. I have a Facebook page, I think I have 680 members right now in my fan club. And they're always giving us support and asking us for autographs. And they're always at my fights. And everyone knows, when I'm fighting, there's at least two party busses out front because I come with a lot of people. And its for them. That's why people want me on their card. That's why you want to do interviews with me. That's why they want me on the show because they know I bring people and I bring fans. I'm not scared to admit it, I know I'm a nice guy and people like to be around me. If it wasn't like that then I wouldn't have the friends and the fans and the family that I have. So I'm very grateful for all of them.

NWFS: Have you ever felt overwhelmed any time during this whole process?
Rogers: Umm, just when I walked in. You know, flying down there you have doubts. You're flying down... am I supposed to be doing this? Am I in the right spot? Do I belong here? Am I good enough to be here? You know, my biggest concern was my experience. Just ring time. No matter how good, how well you look on the pads, cage time is cage time. And that's going to help with your nerves and everything else. But once I got in and started rolling with the guys, and started sparring with the guys, I realized I was just as big as them if not bigger. Just as strong as them if not stronger. And my technique was there. All I lacked was experience and there's only one way to get that. Get in the cage. So that [feeling] wore off pretty quick. By the time fight time came, I was ready. So it was good. Worked out real well.

NW Fightscene asked Demico's Head Coach and owner of Ring Sports United,

Mark Messer, his thoughts about Demico...

NW Fightscene: Tell me about the first time Demico came in.
Mark Messer: The first time he came in I thought that's a big dude! And I heard that he was training at another club for a little bit and that he was looking for a new home. What I noticed immediately though on working with him on standup was natural... He's got a natural balance and poise that usually seen with like Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. Learns quick, got a great attitude. I've never really had any problems with him at all. I've kicked quite a few fighters out or gotten rid of, or parted ways with them because just general attitude and demeanor in the gym and the club because I like to keep it positive and friendly. He's really easy to work with, natural ability, works hard too. And he's a team player kind of guy because he supports the other guys and talks to them and encourages them. Lot of times you'll get guys who are self-absorbed and just care about themselves. He's just not that way. So it's a real pleasure to work with him. 

NWFS: Who pushed him into the Ultimate Fighter tryouts.
Messer: Pushed? We really didn't push. We said hey these guys are coming to town and we think you're a natural for this. We think it'll be really easy for them to spot you. Just because we know what the general heavyweight division looks like. One of the things he was told when he was training in Vegas was that his jiu-jitsu is unusual and I think what they meant by that is that he moves like a lighter weight, like a Middleweight. He's really smooth, you could even say like graceful. He also thinks and he sets things up. Like he's going for a triangle or an armbar, and he'll deceive people into thinking that he's going for something else and then boom!, before they know it, the way he changes positions, he doesn't use strength all the time. Often times he'll use the other guys momentum so that he ends up in a good position. In the standup his range is incredible. I forgot exactly what his measurement on his wingspan is, but its huge and that's very unusual. Most of the time the reach is whatever the guy's height is. Not with him. Big difference. He definitely, in Vegas had the longest reach of all of them.

NWFS: What traits does he share with the Champions that you've seen and that you've worked with?
Messer: I would say positive mental attitude. You won't hear him make excuses or whining. And he also believes in himself. He knows. He knows he's good but he doesn't get arrogant which is why he's really easy to work with.

NW Fightscene would like to thank both Demico and Mark for their time in giving us this interview. Fans can check out Demico on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter premiering on Wednesday, September 16th and running through the fall on Spike TV. Fans can meet Demico August 15th at the Snoqualmie Casino as he hangs out with one of the TUF 10 coaches, Rampage Jackson. More info is available HERE!

He's on Facebook as well so so hit him up there. 

Stop by Demico's gym, Ring Sports United which is located at

1900 132nd Avenue NE #A-6 in Bellevue, WA.

The gym # is 425-576-5300 & website is ringsportsunited.com