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Calling Fedor vs. Rogers with Frank Shamrock, Gus Johnson and Mauro Ranallo
by Troy Rogers
 With
the upcoming November 7 Strikeforce/M-1 Global
Mixed Martial Arts match-up between #1 ranked
heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and undefeated American
Brett "The Grim" Rogers live on CBS, MMA fans
are getting another primetime network fight due
to the rising popularity of Mixed Martial Arts
and name fighters like Fedor and Rogers. Over
the past couple of years MMA fans have seen the
rise of such bankable MMA names as George St.
Pierre and Brock Lesnar and have the Fedor vs.
Rogers match to build on top of the foundation
laid by such greats as Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock,
Royce Gracie, and Russian fighters like Oleg Taktarov
from the early days of MMA.
Ahead of the Strikeforce/M-1 Global Fedor vs. Rogers bout TheDeadbolt took
part in a Fedor vs. Rogers conference call to
talk MMA with Mixed Martial Arts pioneer Frank
Shamrock, play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson,
and expert MMA analyst Mauro Ranallo to get
their take on Fedor vs. Rogers, the pressures
between being #1 and undefeated, the legacy
of the early days of Shamrock - Gracie, and
the popularity of MMA leading up to Fedor vs.
Rogers.
THE DEADBOLT: Can you talk about the difference in pressure between a number one ranked fighter and an undefeated fighter and who may have the edge between Fedor and Rogers?
 FRANK
SHAMROCK: That's interesting. Yeah. Well,
I went for a time, about ten years, where I
didn't lose a fight and it just became this
burden that I kind of drug around with me. So
the not losing thing, it just sort of compounded
itself. The difference between the pressures,
I think, are you've been there, you're doing
it, and you have a big shield that you sort
of built. It's very hard to get through the
shield when you've never lost.
But when you're really hungry and you really want to go for something, you don't have as much of a shield. But you've got a heck of a lot more energy, a desire. And be willing to snap something off. I think one pressure gives you the attention of energy and focus and the other is a bit risky. [laughs] That's the difference in the pressures for me.
THE DEADBOLT: Even though MMA is growing in popularity with fighters like Fedor and Rogers, St Pierre and Lesner, do you think it has surpassed the Shamrock - Gracie days?
 SHAMROCK:
I don't think so. I think there's a thread,
a history to the sport, that built it and I
think there's so many people connected to that
thread. I don't know if it'll ever go away exactly.
We're certainly going to get older. We'll definitely
be elder statesmen and the legends of the sport.
But we're also the founders and it always moves
forward.
THE DEADBOLT: Gus and Mauro, can you talk about how the popularity of MMA is giving you more options from a broadcast perspective?
MAURO RANALLO: Wow, that's a very good question to ask yours truly, because in the last month one of the major sports networks in Canada, The Score, has actually brought me on full time as their combat sports reporter. I have two weekly MMA shows that I host. A highlight show, one dedicated to two hours of MMA action. I do a daily MMA news hit. I have a radio show that is dedicated to combat sports. So here in Canada, The Score has really embraced Mixed Martial Arts and it's due to the growth and popularity and we, thankfully, get to cover all spectrums of MMA.
There's not just the one big gorilla in the room, there are other MMA entities. So for yours truly, it has been a windfall. I'm truly blessed and honored to not only do this full time on a daily basis, but again, to be a part of the network television broadcast. I could never ask for more. So it's been a boom to yours truly.
GUS JOHNSON: And for me, I just think
it's been a way for me to show the powers that
be, or the world, my versatility. I had to really
take some time because Frank and Mauro have
been a part of this sport for over a decade.
Frank, as he said, is a founder.
 I
came on and had to learn more and am learning
and I think I made a really good move. I started
taking Jiu-Jitsu and then things started to
really open up and I started to understand MMA,
especially when it goes to the ground. And having
a chance to work with Frank and having a chance
to work with Mauro, who always protect me in
the broadcast because of my lack of knowledge
on some things, I think it's really made for
a great lesson and it's really given me an opportunity
to delve into another sport.
You'd be surprised at all of the athletes that compete in professional sports around the country. You know, NBA guys come up to me and talk about MMA. The NFL guys are always talking about MMA and watching the fights and asking about [the sport]. They're really interested in Kimbo Slice and his story, you know? The names are stating to become very familiar with athletes from many different sports. So I just think that this experience is incredible and it's going to get better.
For more on Fedor vs. Rogers, check out Showtime Readies for Fedor vs. Rogers with Fight Camp 360.
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