Family Fuels Huerta’s Fire
You might assume a grizzled veteran of 21 professional mixed
martial arts bouts could consider his accomplishments in the arena
a convincing statement on his toughness. In the case of lightweight
sensation Roger Huerta
(Pictures), you would be mistaken.
Oh, it is not because he doesn't think he is tough. The St. Paul, Minn., resident is plenty confident in his durability. Rather, it is just the way he came to realize he could make it in the rough and tumble sport that is MMA.
Most fighters just starting out do not know if they can withstand the grueling daily grind that comes with the fame and fortune enjoyed by the sport's greats.
That was not an issue for the 24-year-old Huerta.
After an upbringing that saw him bounce between parents and family members and from Los Angeles to Texas to El Salvador to Mexico and back to Texas, Huerta experienced more troubling times than a child ever should.
"We are not going there," said the man known as "El Matador."
Not knowing what you are going to eat or if you are going to eat. The absence of a guiding influence on your life. The overwhelming sense that you are missing out on something nearly everyone else around you cherishes.
That was Roger Huerta (Pictures)'s childhood.
"The unconditional love a parent has for their child is something I never had and when I finally experienced it, that made me want to spread that to everyone I could," Huerta declared.
Jo Ramirez, Huerta's English teacher during his senior year of high school, was the mother he never had. Fending for himself after being abandoned by his biological parents, Huerta finally found the family he always yearned for when Ramirez legally adopted him in 2002.
Huerta made the transition from the Texas heat to the Minnesota cold after enrolling in Augsburg College, a Division III wrestling juggernaut. It wasn't long before he discovered MMA.
After making his debut, Huerta was convinced this was the sport for him. Soon after, he left the wrestling team to pursue a career as a fighter. Huerta did remain in school, where he stands just three credits shy of a degree in business.
With the help of former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne (Pictures) among others, Huerta has transformed from just a wrestler to one of the most dynamic lightweights in the world.
That conversion has come with the added bonus of another family for Huerta. Along with Menne, strength and conditioning coach Justin Hagen has taken up a prominent post among Roger's inner circle.
"It is really hard for him to open up and let people into that inner circle," Hagen said. "The way he grew up, he has to really be careful about who he can trust, who he can count on."
It became even clearer that Menne and Hagen were integral pieces to Huerta's success when they moved into the gigantic house Huerta purchased in October. The plan is to renovate the garage into a state-of-the-art training facility and to provide a place for Huerta's second adoptive family to live together.
"You know, when I saw the kitchen in this place I knew I had found a home," Huerta said. "It just says family, and that is what I am all about."
The feeling among the roommates is mutual.
"I care much more about him and the guys than I would just a normal friend," Hagen said. "It is like a brotherhood, especially with all the guys living in the house together. We are all here for each other, and I think that is what appeals so much to Roger."
While it has been an up-and-down path to get to this point, Huerta swears he would not have it any other way. Rather than let his rocky childhood define him, he has remarkably dissected the positive aspects of his youth from the negative.
"I am kindhearted. I have the biggest heart, and nothing will ever change that," Huerta said. "I am who I am because of the way I grew up."
Another trait garnered from his childhood is a mental toughness that was forged in a fire not too many people have been unfortunate enough to know. It is an invaluable characteristic in any competition, not to mention life in general.
"Without the mental toughness," Huerta said, "you can't become physically tough."
And without either of those, you can't become one of the most highly regarded young fighters in MMA.
Despite his stellar record, Huerta has come under fire for the lack of big names on his ledger. It is a criticism that is not lost on the man whose picture adorned the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this year.
"People can say what they want about that, but when they give me a fighter I know nothing about and on short notice, I don't think they are trying to protect me," said Huerta of his bout with Douglas Evans.
If there were any remaining questions about the UFC's plans to protect their valuable commodity, they can now be cast aside. A perfect 5-0 record in the UFC has landed Huerta, 19-1-1 (1 NC) overall, a main event against fellow 155-pound cardio machine Clay Guida (Pictures) on "The Ultimate Fighter" finale Saturday in Las Vegas.
Guida (22-8-0) has a penchant for taking out fighters that are supposed to beat him handily. He did it to Josh Thomson (Pictures) and Marcus Aurelio and would like to add Huerta to the hit list.
With that in mind, Huerta sees a marked advantage in the striking game and views this as a fight he should win rather easily.
"Clay is a lot like me," Huerta said. "He is a good wrestler, he scrambles well, has a good chin and has great cardio. The only problem is I do every one of those things better than him.
"I don't want to say I have been holding back, but there is so much more I know I can do. I have not reached my potential; I haven't shown everything I am capable of."
Either way, win or lose, Huerta will go back to the people he cares so much for, and they will congratulate him on doing his best.
That is how unconditional love works.
Oh, it is not because he doesn't think he is tough. The St. Paul, Minn., resident is plenty confident in his durability. Rather, it is just the way he came to realize he could make it in the rough and tumble sport that is MMA.
Most fighters just starting out do not know if they can withstand the grueling daily grind that comes with the fame and fortune enjoyed by the sport's greats.
That was not an issue for the 24-year-old Huerta.
After an upbringing that saw him bounce between parents and family members and from Los Angeles to Texas to El Salvador to Mexico and back to Texas, Huerta experienced more troubling times than a child ever should.
"We are not going there," said the man known as "El Matador."
Not knowing what you are going to eat or if you are going to eat. The absence of a guiding influence on your life. The overwhelming sense that you are missing out on something nearly everyone else around you cherishes.
That was Roger Huerta (Pictures)'s childhood.
"The unconditional love a parent has for their child is something I never had and when I finally experienced it, that made me want to spread that to everyone I could," Huerta declared.
Jo Ramirez, Huerta's English teacher during his senior year of high school, was the mother he never had. Fending for himself after being abandoned by his biological parents, Huerta finally found the family he always yearned for when Ramirez legally adopted him in 2002.
Huerta made the transition from the Texas heat to the Minnesota cold after enrolling in Augsburg College, a Division III wrestling juggernaut. It wasn't long before he discovered MMA.
After making his debut, Huerta was convinced this was the sport for him. Soon after, he left the wrestling team to pursue a career as a fighter. Huerta did remain in school, where he stands just three credits shy of a degree in business.
With the help of former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne (Pictures) among others, Huerta has transformed from just a wrestler to one of the most dynamic lightweights in the world.
That conversion has come with the added bonus of another family for Huerta. Along with Menne, strength and conditioning coach Justin Hagen has taken up a prominent post among Roger's inner circle.
"It is really hard for him to open up and let people into that inner circle," Hagen said. "The way he grew up, he has to really be careful about who he can trust, who he can count on."
It became even clearer that Menne and Hagen were integral pieces to Huerta's success when they moved into the gigantic house Huerta purchased in October. The plan is to renovate the garage into a state-of-the-art training facility and to provide a place for Huerta's second adoptive family to live together.
"You know, when I saw the kitchen in this place I knew I had found a home," Huerta said. "It just says family, and that is what I am all about."
The feeling among the roommates is mutual.
"I care much more about him and the guys than I would just a normal friend," Hagen said. "It is like a brotherhood, especially with all the guys living in the house together. We are all here for each other, and I think that is what appeals so much to Roger."
While it has been an up-and-down path to get to this point, Huerta swears he would not have it any other way. Rather than let his rocky childhood define him, he has remarkably dissected the positive aspects of his youth from the negative.
"I am kindhearted. I have the biggest heart, and nothing will ever change that," Huerta said. "I am who I am because of the way I grew up."
Another trait garnered from his childhood is a mental toughness that was forged in a fire not too many people have been unfortunate enough to know. It is an invaluable characteristic in any competition, not to mention life in general.
"Without the mental toughness," Huerta said, "you can't become physically tough."
And without either of those, you can't become one of the most highly regarded young fighters in MMA.
Despite his stellar record, Huerta has come under fire for the lack of big names on his ledger. It is a criticism that is not lost on the man whose picture adorned the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this year.
"People can say what they want about that, but when they give me a fighter I know nothing about and on short notice, I don't think they are trying to protect me," said Huerta of his bout with Douglas Evans.
If there were any remaining questions about the UFC's plans to protect their valuable commodity, they can now be cast aside. A perfect 5-0 record in the UFC has landed Huerta, 19-1-1 (1 NC) overall, a main event against fellow 155-pound cardio machine Clay Guida (Pictures) on "The Ultimate Fighter" finale Saturday in Las Vegas.
Guida (22-8-0) has a penchant for taking out fighters that are supposed to beat him handily. He did it to Josh Thomson (Pictures) and Marcus Aurelio and would like to add Huerta to the hit list.
With that in mind, Huerta sees a marked advantage in the striking game and views this as a fight he should win rather easily.
"Clay is a lot like me," Huerta said. "He is a good wrestler, he scrambles well, has a good chin and has great cardio. The only problem is I do every one of those things better than him.
"I don't want to say I have been holding back, but there is so much more I know I can do. I have not reached my potential; I haven't shown everything I am capable of."
Either way, win or lose, Huerta will go back to the people he cares so much for, and they will congratulate him on doing his best.
That is how unconditional love works.
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