Bellator sign Roger "El Matador" Huerta for the Lightweight Tournament
Posted on March 15, 2010, 04:06 PM by Rory KernaghanBellator Fighting Championship this week announced that the latest fighter to join them is the 21-3 UFC veteran Roger "El Matador" Huerta. Huerta will compete in Bellator's Lightweight tournament this year in April. Huerta who has recently tried his hand at acting, starring in the latest Tekken movie, explained to MMAJunkie.com why he decided to fight again:
“It was the career change at the time, where I wanted to pursue something else, which was acting. It's something that fulfills me, but my passion is in fighting. This is what I've been doing since, I think, the day I was born.”
Huerta's explosive style should fit perfectly in Bellator's promotions which has seen some of the best knockouts and submissions in recent times. Huerta will be pitted against Toby Imada, Chad Hinton, Mike Ricci and Carey Vamier, who have already ensured their participation in Bellator's Lightweight Tournament:
"I've got to give the fighters my best because anything can happen in this tournament, anything can happen in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. It has my attention 100 percent. If I win this title, the sky's the limit. I think my chances are good. A hungry Roger Huerta is very dangerous, and I'm very hungry right now."
Bellator XIII will take place on April 8th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Roger Huerta's signing for Bellator continues promotion's roster expansion, with fighters like Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez, Josh Neer, Dan Hornbuckle , Lyman Good and Joe Soto already on board.
Comments
I'll miss him in the UFC. I loved his style.
him and Alverz would be a good fight.....I thought Eddie and BJ would be
a goood fight......
Rodger's fight against Florian he just didnt seem the same didnt have that crush'em additude maybe the stress of the fight
I am a Huerta whether it is UFC or wherever. Hope he kicks ass ;)
Its awesome that he is fighting again. He has never been afraid to throw those hands. I always like to hear about quality fighters outside the UFC.
What is he doing?, he should of stay with the UFC or sign with strikeforce, he belongs to the major leagues, Florian or Maynard could not finish him and they are the top of the LW div. he is a great figther, he should be with a bigger promotion, anyways, at least he drop that no-sense acting pursue...
Florian submitted him my man... I love Huerta let him win this tournament then come back to the UFC, I always liked his style in his fights and I'm sure we'll see it in the UFC again if he's sure he'sall for fighting now not acting Dana wll get him knowing he's an exciting fighter and def can be a title contender
he for sure needs to be back in th e UFC!!
no he beat him by unanimous decision....Rogers never been finished in his career...maybe your thinking of Joe Stevenson? Florian beat him by rear-naked choke....
florian didnt submit huerta!
no one has! as far as i know he has never been finish in the UFC!
hes only been beat by desicion by two top lightweights Kenny florian
ranked no.2 and top 5 gray maynard who may probably fight bj next
and still they were not able to finish huerta!
hes only got a verbal submision by an injury early in his carrer
and after that went to a crazy winning streak of 16 wins! including the last 6 in the UFC!
i would like to see him in strikeforce if hes not in the ufc !
imagine roger vs thompson or aoki!!
I bet you think that because you saw it on the main screen of UFC undisputed, Huerta will win then be back on ufc to kick ass.
Big name going small really makes no sense. Best of luck to the guy. A match up against Lombard or Alvarez would be awesome.
lombard is 185 lbs he would kill huerta
roger wanted a raise, dana didnt want to give it to him and knew would change organization after his last fight on his contract. dana then froze roger for the longest time so people would forget about him and have ring rust and fed him to grey "laynprey" maynard.
dana would rather lose quality fighters like huerta and henderson than pay them and sign guys like toney and kimbo.
Eddie Alvarez vs Roger Huerta = WAR between two of the top five lighweights in the world!
huerta isnt top 5 but it would for sure be Alvarez's toughest fight outside of Japan.
True, but alvarez has wins over both shinya aoki and joachim hansen. Although, Huerta might edge out a win in this fight.
Roger Huerta has never been submited, Florian won the fight by decision, after runing around like a little bitch...
I think Roger just needed a change, he'll be back unless he does badly in Bellator.