Roger Huerta is my second favorite fighter, wedged in between Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson in my personal MMA rankings. That said, I was thrilled to see him show up tonight in phenomenal shape. Why am a such a big fan? Because of his nickname? Because of his good looks? Because he was the first MMA fighter on SI’s cover? Because of his tat?
No, no, no and no.
Sure, Roger is a smooth dude, but that has very little to do with it. I also like that he possesses both star and striking qualities, as I like both in my fighters to ensure maximum entertainment value. I primarily like Huerta becase he’s a great guy with possibly the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. Tonight he damn near got one of his limbs ripped off, yet kept on fighting.
If you know Huerta’s story, you know he was abandoned by his parents in two different countries. You know that he slept on rooftops as a pre-teenage kid. You know that his childhood was a living hell that a weaker person might not have survived. But Huerta did survive it, and the man who’s emerged from those trials and tribulations is a great one. He’s educated, well-spoken and even kind. I live in Austin, TX, his hometown, and recently had the opportunity to enjoy a short conversation with him. I can verify that he’s a helluva cool dude and an all-around nice guy. But tonight we all saw first hand what makes Huerta so special — heart.
If you thought Huerta’s courageous comeback win against tough-as-nails headbanger Clay Guida was something, then you won’t believe what he did tonight. During UFC Fight Night, he fought undefeated rising contender Gray Maynard despite a 13-month layoff because he was busy filming Tekken. He won the fight on one scorecard and lost it on two others, losing by split decision. But that only tells half the story.
Maynard had Huerta in a ridiculous kimora submission hold, one that turned his arm completely backward and damn near pulled his shoulder out of its socket. I guarantee that 99% of fighters would have tapped out at that point. Not Roger. Didn’t even cross his mind. Maynard would have had to rip his arm clean off, and I’m pretty sure he caused ligament damage.
Check out a closer second look…
Huerta is only 26 and just damn near took out one of the UFC’s hottest fighters after being away from the sport for over a year. He’s talking about retiring to due to a desire to pursue acting and modeling fulltime, but I see a future champion when I look at him. I definitely see the heart of a champion. I can’t have both him and Rampage going Hollywood. Here’s hoping that someone close to him takes a page out of Maynard’s book and twists his arm until he decides that MMA and the UFC are his future. After all, we know he’s tough enough to take it.
(Image hat tip: 7SoM)
(Adam Best is the senior editor of the FanSided.com Sports Network and the twisted mind behind The Best View. Follow him on Twitter. And for more MMA coverage, check out Rear Naked Joke!)
