Roger Huerta does not believe he has shown the world everything he can do, but a decade and a half into his fighting career, he believes the time has come. The 34-year-old veteran made news on March 12, when it was announced that he had re-signed with the Bellator MMA organization. He will face former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholder Benson Henderson in the short-notice Bellator 196 main event on Friday in Budapest, Hungary.
In spite of the parallels in their long careers -- Huerta and Henderson are less than six months apart in age, are two of the most recognizable names in the history of the lightweight division and have fought periodically at welterweight -- they had never been signed to the same organization at the same time until now. For that reason, Huerta admits he never put much thought into the possibility of fighting Henderson over the years. Once it was offered, however, he saw it as an opportunity.
“Ben is real accomplished,” Huerta told Sherdog.com. “He’s done a lot in this sport. He’s won the WEC belt. He’s won the UFC belt. He’s had some losses in Bellator but at the championship level. He came right in and challenged for the title. That’s one reason why I did not hesitate to take on fighting Ben -- because of those accomplishments. Beating a guy like that, finishing a guy like that, would be amazing for me.”
Huerta is aware that North American fans who may have seen most or all of his fights during his UFC tenure and first Bellator run may know of his more recent exploits primarily through news stories and YouTube highlights. He is eager to show those fans the changes he has made in his game.
“I’m a new person, man,” he said. “I’ve changed my game completely.”
Huerta believes his most recent fight, against UFC and Strikeforce veteran Hayder Hassan at Phoenix Fighting Championship 4 in December, was a missed opportunity to put that changed game on display. In that fight, a tense first round characterized by sharp kicking offense from Huerta was followed by a disqualification less than a minute into Round 2, as Hassan landed a half-dozen vertical elbows directly onto the back of Huerta’s head while Huerta worked for a double-leg takedown against the fence. The illegal blows left a dazed Huerta on his knees, as he received attention from the cageside physician.
Huerta wishes he had had more of a chance to showcase his development that night. He is also frank about the effects of the fouls, in contrast with the many fighters who seem reluctant to admit to having been hurt by their opponents’ strikes, legal or illegal.
“No, [I was] not really [OK],” Huerta said. “I flew back to Phuket, had a few slight headaches, that sort of thing. I’m healthy now, but for a little while there I was a little worried. I’m fine now, though.”
With that episode behind him and a freshly inked Bellator contract in his pocket, Huerta is excited to get back into the cage and show off his capabilities. The progress in his game, he claims, is mental and physical.
“This fight, you’ll definitely see that I’m a different animal, a different athlete,” he said. “I have a clearer head on my shoulders now. I’m focused. Like a race horse with blinders on, I have that tunnel vision. I’m going to showcase my skills, showcase my work and show the world that I haven’t gone anywhere.”