Roger Huerta was recently in Toronto and spoke with MMA Canada. 
Roger said that dealing with his first professional loss against Kenny Florian at UFC 87 was very hard. It was tough but he has taken some time off and has been able get some rest, spend some time with friends and family and refocus on his goals.
Roger responded to some comments Kenny made after their fight when Kenny apparently said that Roger felt “a little slippery” during their bout. Roger said he considers that “a low blow…and instead of saying this cat is tough, he’s a wizard on the ground and I can’t finish him…it is harsh.” Roger went on to say, “If Kenny was not satisfied with his win” then they could do it again in a rematch.
The subject of Huerta’s relationship with the UFC and some comments he had made came up and Roger had this to say, “The thing I want to take back is this; I didn’t realize how much the world title meant to me until the loss….and it means a lot in the UFC because honestly, the UFC does have the best fighters in the world.” He goes on to try and clarify what he meant by his controversial statements in the magazine, “All I was trying to say is that it’s not wrong to look at it as a business…if I had a position for Wells Fargo Bank and U.S. Bank offered me more money and it would help myself and my family and retirement, then there’s nothing wrong with that. That is something to logically think about…that was it…nothing more.”
The reporter says to Roger, “Dana White went on record calling you a moron after that was released.” Roger replied that he and Dana had talked recently, after his fight with Florian and he knows that Dana and Lorenzo care for him and want what’s best for him. “Having said that, to each his own,” Huerta calmly states.
Roger has one fight left on his UFC contract and says he does not plan on going anywehre else. He made it very clear though he wants to get back on track for a title shot.
Huerta said that due to different coaching he changed up his style a bit for the Florian fight and was not as aggressive. Huerta won over a ton of fans by leaving it all in the ring against such guys as Clay Guida and Leonard Garcia and he wants to get back to that syle he is known for. Huerta says he shouldn’t have changed his whole fighting style but just changed certain things. Huerta went to Greg Jackson’s camp to train for the Florian fight and this difference in camps seems to be what led to the style change. When asked if he was happy with the training he received from the Jackson camp he spoke very highly of the training partners he got to work with but seemed a bit evasive about Jackson himself. In fact, he didn’t mention Jackson.
According to Huerta, the fame has been hard to deal with, largely because of how he was raised. Huerta’s meager beginnings are well-documented. This also causes Roger to appreciate what he has received more than most. He even started a charity for kids. Roger appears to have a good head on his shoulders. He’s a great role model for the young people and someone to emulate as an aspiring fighter. Props to MMA Canada for speaking with Roger.