Roger Huerta não renova com o UFC

[Tequila_ 0]

Roger Huerta wants to flex a new muscle.

The popular lightweight has turned down a new five-fight contract with the UFC to pursue a career in acting in 2009. Huerta has one more fight on his current contract with the UFC that will see him back in the Octagon some time before December. After that, Huerta said he’d re-evaluate his options.

“I’m not burned out [with fighting],” said Huerta. “I have one fight left with the UFC and I want to honor that. As soon as they tell me to fight, I’ll fight my last fight on the contract.”

After getting bit by the bug last summer shooting a role in the film “Tekken,” Huerta said the timing felt right to tackle a wholly different challenge.

“I saw that you have to dedicate as much as you do to training for a fight as you do for an acting role and I’m intrigued by that,” said Huerta. “I’m 25 years old. I see Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture and they didn’t really hit their primes till their thirties. I’m only going to be young so long and I know that movies and agencies and what not want the young look.”

The handsome bi-lingual fighter was pushed heavily on the press following his rousing victory over Leonard Garcia at UFC 69 in April 2007. The performance landed the Minneapolis resident the cover of Sports Illustrated that May – a first in the sport’s 15-year history. However, Huerta believes it was his gut-wrenching performance against Clay Guida at “The Ultimate Fighter 6” finale in December 2007 that brought on his popularity with fans.

“I felt naked after that fight because I gave everything I had in there, from physical abilities to my emotions,” said Huerta. “I was a little messed up in the head for the next two months. That last round took a lot out of me. I went to another level mentally.”

Though Huerta (20-2-1, 1 NC) fought and won five times in 2007 -- culminating with the Guida bout -- his schedule became muddled the next year. In 2008, he entered the cage only once and lost to Kenny Florian via unanimous decision at UFC 87 last August.

Huerta’s contract was extended for two six-month periods during that time due to his inability to commit to fights that were offered to him. Over the summer, Huerta made plans to return to Augsburg College, but the opportunity to play Miguel “The Matador” Rojo in the feature film adaptation of the popular video game “Tekken,” proved too good an opportunity to pass up. Huerta remains one class shy of his Bachelor’s Degree, while the film, in which Huerta has a small speaking role, is due out in fall 2009.

Huerta also turned down a fight with Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London, due to “personal family issues.” Stevenson will now face Diego Sanchez instead.

Huerta’s reps believe the fighter’s future in film looks promising. Huerta recently signed a three-movie development deal with Lion’s Gate films, whose recent projects include “The Transporter 3” and “The Spirit.”

“Roger loves fighting for the UFC, but it doesn’t make sense for him to re-sign and continually let them down when he can’t take fights due to other projects,” said Huerta’s manager Jeff Clark, of NCFC Fight Management. “They have a business to run and schedules to keep as well.”

Still, others might see a different motivation for Huerta’s decision not to sign on the dotted line this time around. Huerta caused waves last July in an interview with Fight! Magazine where he voiced discontent with the UFC’s pay scale and the public relation responsibilities placed on fighters for little to no pay.

Huerta said he was spread too thin between appearances and his first movie role at the time and misspoke.

“I was thinking like a young kid,” said Huerta of the infamous interview. “I’m young and people make mistakes.”

Huerta and his management downplayed any ill will with Zuffa LLC., which owns the UFC. In fact, Huerta says his relationship with UFC owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White, the promotion’s president, has never been stronger.

“I personally look up to Lorenzo and Dana,” he said. “This sport wouldn’t be where it is without them. With the $40 million in the hole and Dana grinding it out through everything, and putting the sport on the map, we owe them a lot.”

Without his income from fighting, Huerta said he’ll supplement his bank account with appearances and seminars while he takes acting classes. He also plans to join one of his trainers in Los Angeles for auditions through a talent agent who coordinates with his NCFC fight management.

He said he had no plans to talk to other promotions once his UFC contract’s non-compete period is satisfied some time around April 2010.

“The UFC is my home and it is my family and eventually I’ll come back,” said Huerta. “Pursuing the modeling and acting thing, that’s kind of where I’m at right now. The fighting will always be there. I’ll always have that in me. The truth is I’ve been fighting my whole life for everything, and this to me, is something else.”

Fonte: sherdog.com

Basicamente a notícia diz que Roger Huerta não renovará com o UFC pq ele está trabalhando em outros projetos de CINEMA, isso mesmo, devido a esses desencontros de lutas e filmes, Huerta disse que não pode assumir a responsabilidade de mais 5 lutas e atuar nos novos filmes que possui contrato. Diante disso, ele vai terminar seu contrato com o UFC que ainda resta mais 1 luta.

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Agora imagina quanto o cara não ta ganhando para atuar em filmes? Além de ganhar bem mais, nem se machuca e nem fica sofrendo hahaha

[pipo 0]

e eu ja entrei tenso achando que o UFC tinha colocado o cara pra fora..

[Blito 0]

Uma pena, o cara é bom...

Mas temos que respeitar a decisão pessoal dele.

O cara pode ter talento, mas tem outros objetivos de vida. Me lembrou o Carlos Newton.

Sem contar que o MMA ainda é um esporte novo, e não é taaao rentavel assim para a maioria dos atletas.

[Edio 0]

e eu ja entrei tenso achando que o UFC tinha colocado o cara pra fora..

KKKKKKKKKKK... boa Pipo!

Se for pra lutar como fez como da ultima vez, melhor que saia mesmo!

[mmataque 0]

vai ver foi um dos motivos dele ter lutado mal

[pipo 0]

deve ter sido mesmo..

uma gravação de um filme deve ser algo bem demorado, cansativo.. imagine vc dividir isso com uma seção de treinos.. sem condições..

[Fox Murder 0]

Ele lutou mal a última? Que eu me lembre ele só perdeu por decisão pra um cara que é melhor que ele, que é o Florian.

[Ytsejam 0]

Eu já entrei meio feliz esperando que ele tivesse ido pro Dream, e imaginando ele contra o Alvarez, Hansen, JZ, Aoki e companhia :lol:

[Cru cru 0]

Noticia ruim essa!

[Zangs Nogueira 0]

Acho o cara um bom lutador..é um desfalque pro UFC..mais se ele quer isso de agora em diante..fazer o q..a Arianne vai sentir saudade agora..

[Doc Savage 0]

e eu ja entrei tenso achando que o UFC tinha colocado o cara pra fora..

2

aí eu dei razao pra ele

mesmo porque o Florian o fez descer do pedestal e agora ele viu qual é a real.

de qualquer forma pra gente que assiste é uma pena porque ele faria boas lutas

[Leo Pateira 0]

Não sou muito fã do Huerta não

[pipo 0]

mais o cara é um bom lutador Leo..

[Convidado Shaolin B. Navigtor]

tb pensei que fosse o UFC que tivesse expirrado ele...

perda boa...do UFC...

[henriquee 0]

essa historia de que ele ganha mais e nao fica se machucando e nao fica sofrendo nao existe ehehe lutador é lutador se nao gosta de apanha e "sofrer" n sei qq ta fazendo ae.. heuaheuah ofi meio gay esse comentario de vcs