Roger Huerta, a grizzled veteran, has seen it all in his years of fighting.
Huerta, 41, who has competed in many major organizations over the years, is returning to the sport after a hiatus of more than three years. ‘El Matador’ will make his Professional Fighters League debut at PFL Glasgow on Saturday, taking lighter fights than he has so far in his long career.
Huerta, the first mixed martial artist to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, is well aware that his athletic prime is behind him. He entered the PFL with a lot of pressure on his hands after losing four straight games, a career-tying loss. After losing four straight under the Bellator MMA banner, Huerta hopes the change in the organization will give him a breath of fresh air. The longtime veteran believes this newly combined company of Bellator and PFL will be a new opportunity not only for himself, but also for other athletes in the sport. Huerta spoke to the media about his renewed interest in how MMA tournaments work in MMA and what the future holds.
“What the PFL is doing is great,” exclaimed Huerta. “I’ve always looked at this game in comparison to the NBA, the NFL, etc., and I want fighters to be treated with the same respect. There are things in this game that other competitions and other sports don’t do. We really have to multitask. This is the ultimate game. That’s what I want to represent.”
Although he is currently not participating in a PFL season, either in general or in Europe, the Texas native hopes this is not his last appearance in the PFL. If he wins, he has his sights set on a more structured system like a PFL tournament, where he knows when and where he will fight next.
“Sure, you know that whether you win or lose, as soon as a match happens, you have a chance to compete in the next event. So you can completely focus on your skill set.” Huerta talked about the annual game series, which consists of a season and playoffs.
Unless something unexpected happens, Huerta’s return won’t be a one-off. His debut in the PFL kicks off a multi-fight deal, and he intends to see things through.
“For me it’s not just this match. We signed a four-fight contract so we’re going to respect that and move forward,” said ‘El Matador’. “At the same time, I’m grateful that I was able to get that from them. I think this is just a roadmap to where I want to go and I think I have championship qualities and that I want to put my name on the hat.”
Facing a well-traveled opponent in Robert Whiteford, who is also returning from a long layoff, Huerta paid tribute to his next opponent’s experience.
“He has been training with a good team,” Huerta admitted. “He’s not a rookie, he’s a veteran, he knows the game, he’s been around good fighters, he’s been around good athletes. I expect to fight veterans, they know me. I’m sure I have a game plan to beat, but I’m a mixed martial artist. Now I’m going to show it in action. I’ve given it my all. Not only that, but I’ve been working on it non-stop for three years.”
With nearly 40 professional fights under his belt, “El Matador” returns with one simple message for those who remember him and for a new generation of fans seeing him for the first time.
“What you see is what you get.”
