Much is being made about Roger Huerta’s decision to turn down the UFC’s five-fight contract extension in exchange for pursuing a career in acting and modeling.
Having interviewed him on numerous occasions as well as hosting a recent UFC 92 party with "El Matador," I am fortunate enough to have seen a side of the fighter that isn’t often displayed to the general public.
While he often portrays a demeanour of kindness and humility in front of his adoring fans, it’s Huerta’s gratitude that sticks out for me.
Huerta’s story has been well publicized. He came from nothing, was abused as a child and was abandoned by his mother. At the age of nine, he was on the streets of Mexico selling rosaries to make money. His father was a drug addict while his step-mother abused him verbally and physically, eventually throwing him out of the house at the age of 12.
Gang life was the next step in Huerta’s evolution, sleeping on rooftops until he eventually was legally adopted by his high school English teacher, Jo Ramirez. During his high school years, Huerta’s life began to change for the better, as a love for wrestling kept him focused and determined to make something of himself. His love for competition eventually had him migrate to mixed martial arts, eventually landing him in the UFC.
El Matador’s good looks and great personality eventually landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a first for mixed martial arts. His Latino roots were often referenced by MMA analysts as the lead star for the UFC’s eventual migration into Mexico, a hotbed for combat sports. Although Huerta gladly accepted this label, a recent role in the upcoming release of "Tekken" has now changed the direction of where he wants his career, and life, to go.
Huerta has been fighting his whole life. Whether in The Octagon, on wrestling mats or on the streets, his life is an incredible story of resiliency and survival. Whether by his own admission or not, he has been the underdog from the day he was born.
He has had to fight tooth and nail to garner just enough scraps to survive, that is, until his next fight. It appears the time has come for Huerta to stop fighting and reap the benefits that life has to offer.
I do not want to see him leave MMA, but I understand if he does.
Huerta has always stated that he loves competition and above all, enjoys a good tussle. Getting paid to test his martial arts skills is a blessing for the Minneapolis native, as it is for many of the other fighters in MMA today.
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard a fighter gratefully state "I actually get paid to do what I love."
They cannot believe that the only thing they may have been good at is now providing food on their table. For many of them, it sets the foundation for the rest of their lives, but for others, it will be back to a full-time job when their career is over.
For an MMA fighter, there is only a small window to maximize the amount of income they can make. Hundreds of fighters realize this when it’s too late, while others simply won’t get it. MMA fighters, like all professional athletes, are but one serious injury away from their career coming to a screeching halt. They need to make as much money now, so they can hopefully live off the income for their rest of their life.
When an opportunity to make the same (or more) money is placed in front of them, some fighters chose to seize the moment, while others wait to see what’s behind door No. 2.
It seems to me that Huerta has some lucrative offers on the table that will pay him substantially more than what he can make as the UFC’s poster child to the Latino community.
It’s no different than in the corporate world. You are paid a set salary for your job but if a better offer is placed on the table, there is a good chance you will take that offer.
On and on it goes until you have maxed out what you can potentially make in that position.
Now, if a new career presented itself with a daily workload that was easier to maintain and paid you the same (or more) that what you were currently making, you would be singing the famous song from The Clash: "Should I Stay or Should I Go.?"
Now try walking a mile in Huerta’s shoes.
Try to understand what he has been through as a child and teenager. As an adult, his days have been filled with hard training, cuts, bruises and an abundance of punches and kicks to his face.
He has still managed to keep his Calvin Klein looks and now has a chance to make his life a little easier.
What would you do?
