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[jhell]

- HUERTA FORSEES EVENTUAL MOVE TO 170
Monday, July 28, 2008 - by Tom Hamlin - MMAWeekly.com

As Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight prospect Roger Huerta heads into the home stretch of preparation for his fight with Kenny Florian at UFC 87, it would be understandable for the pressure to build. At 25, Huerta has managed to cement his reputation as a hard-hitting, never-say-die breed of fighter, even after an extended layoff from the game — when criticism tends to get louder.

Like many fights that materialize over time, it appears Huerta’s decision to step back into the Octagon was born out of a slight misunderstanding. During a post-fight interview, Florian mentioned him as a potential opponent. Huerta says that provided the motivation to return.

“I kind of heard that Kenny had called me out, (and) at the same time I started to get edgy, and I started to feel like I wanted to come back and fight again,” Huerta said.

Florian counters that he was simply giving his opinion on the division’s best match-up, but regardless, it was an interaction that bore fruit for serious fans of the sport.

Huerta has made a point of traveling to different camps for fresh perspectives, landing with UFC welterweight Georges St. Pierre’s camp for a finer lesson in the art of savaging his opponents. He’s taken well to St. Pierre’s round the clock attack, something he considers to be his greatest asset going into his fight with Florian.

“It’s been amazing, St. Pierre’s just a pure athlete,” Huerta said today in a media teleconference. “Going against a guy like that day in and day out is pretty…interesting, for the fact that it’s grueling, and you’ve got to be on top of your game all the time with that guy.”

St. Pierre obviously walks around a lot heavier than Huerta, and Huerta’s work with the champ, as well as the physical benefits he’s reaped, has given him reason to think about his future ability to stay at lightweight. Like a lot of top fighters these days, he’s thinking bigger.

“I’m 25 years old and the older I get, the more training I do, the more weight I gain, the more muscle mass I get,” Huerta says. “It’s not a problem at the moment, but I don’t doubt that in maybe 3 or 4 years from now that I know I’m going to have problems making 155, so that’s when I’ll start thinking about moving up to 170.”

Right now, though, Huerta is tasked with his toughest opponent yet. Florian brings not only a well-versed attack to his fights, but a thinking man’s approach to battle. He can come right at his opponents, or hang back and wait for them to mistakes. Either way, he tends to seize opportunities quickly.

Huerta has also been praised for his ability to think inside the cage. He looked at the big screen monitors for better elbow angles against a clinging Alberto Crane, but he also fights with a great deal more emotion. When he gets hit, he gets mad. Trainers and managers sometimes worry about his emotions getting him into a bad position. But Huerta says that’s just part of his way.

“When you fight and compete at this kind of level, you’ve got to think outside the box at all times,” Huerta says. “I know Kenny’s doing the same thing. Who knows what’s going to happen during this fight, or any fight down the road. I’m always thinking in there, what can I do under the rules and find a way to win.”

Clearly, something comes out of Huerta when he steps into the cage. Call it his rough past, his “gameness,” or the desire to keep alive his lifelong dream of being a professional athlete, Huerta wants people to know he’s going to give his all. But he also wants them to know there’s a reason - encouraged by increased media attention — that he’s almost too confident.

“People think that when I’m quoted, when I say ‘I’m never going to lose,’ they think that in the wrong way,” Huerta says. “If you go in there saying ‘I’m going to lose this fight,’ why would you step in there in the first place? I go in there psychologically knowing that I’ve already won, that I’m going to win. Basically sacrifice my whole life and career knowing that I gave everything I had to prepare for this moment, and hopefully, it turns out good.”

Huerta is now rounding out his camp in Minnesota with WEC fighters Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia. He knows this is the most important fight of his career, and he’s anxious to fight. No predictions are made, but he anticipates another war in a string of wars he’s had since breaking out in the UFC.

“I think he’s one of the best competitors there is,” Huerta says of Florian. “I’m going to have to be on the top of my game for this fight, for sure, not only athletically but my skill level as well. He’s one of those guys that you have to bring your A game.”

Any thoughts on how he'd fare at welterweight?

[Severn]

I can't read the article... too distracted by his eyes chico... they look into the soul

[zzNyQuilzz]

i think he will get abused at welterweight... he has no takedown defense... if he steps his game up in that dept he may do well... remember 170 has alot of wrestlers and guida was takin him down at will when they fought...

[LethalStriker]

Huerta's not saying that he's going to WW right at this very moment, just in the future when he's not capable of making the LW cut anymore.

[hunterkiller]

Wouldn't it be a bit premature or unfocused to contemplate moving up in weight right before you fight for the number one contender spot of 155? Granted, if he loses, I'd think 170 would be a good move for him but right before you may win and fight for the title.

Wouldn't it be kind of funny to see Huerta move to 170 to avoid Penn, move to 170 and by the time he works his way to 170 title, Penn's on top there too? I find that mildly humorous.

Note - I'm not saying he is ducking Penn, but he should be.

[Steve88]

i'd like to see a video of him and gsp training before i could comment on his ability to do well at 170

[AngryJohnny]

“I’m 25 years old and the older I get, the more training I do, the more weight I gain, the more muscle mass I get,” Huerta says. “It’s not a problem at the moment, but I don’t doubt that in maybe 3 or 4 years from now that I know I’m going to have problems making 155, so that’s when I’ll start thinking about moving up to 170.”

I think that's the jist of it. Logical thinking I suppose, just hope it's a decision for a few years down the road like he said.

I hope he takes Florian, but that's a big task.

[matto]

Huerta has a lot of upside and in 3-4 years things could be different. he could be a lot better. but, it is not the best idea. he would be better off at 155 then 170.

[BigBanda]

I'm a fan of Huerta and think he has loads of potential being so young in his career with so much to come still. Of course I'm a lil biased considering he wrestled right around the corner from me here in Austin,TX haha.

For now of course he just needs to keep focused on LW but of course if it gets to the point where it is too difficult to make the LW cut anymore then he really has no choice but to move up to WW.

[pa99fighter]

He should focus on cutting the weight and being a huge lightweight. I like Huerta he is one of my favorite fighters and one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC but he is too small to compete for a title at 170. I think he could hold his own against a smaller WW like Sanchez, Serra, or Parysian but he would be too small and would get outpowered by GSP, Thiago Alves, Mike Swick, etc.