Brett Rogers Gets 60 Days in Jail for Domestic Assault

Brett Rogers

Heavyweight still planning on Dec. 31 fight

Brett Rogers was sentenced Wednesday to 60 days in jail following a domestic dispute with his wife.

According to a report from the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer-Press, Rogers was also put on probation for three years. Under the terms of his probation, Rogers can have no contact with his wife until he finishes a domestic abuse program, which then must be signed off on by his probation officer. He also will be forbidden to use alcohol or drugs.

In June, Rogers, of Apple Valley, Minn., south of Minneapolis, was seen by a neighbor punching his wife outside their home, according to a criminal complaint filed against him. Police later found her walking near their home with a bloody face, missing tooth and a broken jaw. The complaint also said the Rogers’ children were scared to return home – and said Rogers had choked them in the past.

Rogers pleaded guilty to third-degree assault with substantial bodily harm, a felony, and had two other felony charges dropped, as well as a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment. After Wednesday’s sentencing, Rogers received credit for 26 days he has already served. The Pioneer-Press reported that Rogers will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence, meaning he will have 14 days left to serve, per the judge’s orders.

Rogers’ defense attorney asked for the heavyweight’s jail sentence to be postponed until after a planned Dec. 31 fight, allowing him to propertly train for the event. That request was denied, but the judge did say Rogers can travel for his job. According to records from the Dakota County Sheriff’s Department, Rogers’ anticipated release date is Dec. 13.

Rogers (11-4), a former Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger, has won just one of his last five fights – a unanimous decision over Ruben Villarreal last October on a W-1 event in Canada. After starting his career 10-0 with 10 straight knockout or TKO stoppages, including a 22-second knockout of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, Rogers’ career hit the skids. He lost by knockout to Fedor Emelianenko, but managed to still get a Strikeforce title shot against Alistair Overeem six months later. He lost that fight by TKO. After the win over Villarreal, Rogers lost to Josh Barnett in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament quarterfinals in June not long before the assault against his wife took place. Strikeforce severed ties with the 6-foot-4, 270-pound heavyweight, and he went on to drop a split decision to Eddie Sanchez for Titan in September.