One of the most recognizable fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) will be returning to the cage in just over a month as former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Roger Huerta is booked for ONE: "Dynasty of Champions" on Sept. 1, 2015, in Shanghai, China.
Huerta was the first cage fighter to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine (pic) and made his name with memorable UFC fights against the likes of Leonard Garcia and Clay Guida. He is coming off a first-round stoppage win against then-previously undefeated Christian Holley.
Holley was 10-0 going into that fight but lasted less than a round against "El Matador," who took him down and finished him with knees and punches (gif). The 32-year-old will be looking for a second successive win when he competes at the Mercedez-Benz Arena in September.
The "Dynasty of Champions" card will be headlined by a middleweight title clash between reigning champion Igor Svirid and undefeated Russian challenger Vitaly Bigdash. There will also be a four-man flyweight tournament for up-and-coming local fighters.
Huerta's record currently stands at 22-7-1-1 and after an unsuccessful stint competing at welterweight, he looked to be back to something approaching his best against Holley. Potential opponents for him on Sept. 1 include Adrian Pang, Lowen Tynanes, Koji Ando, Eddie Ng, and Eduard Folayang (or maybe this rematch).