Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983), is an American mixed martial artist
currently fighting in the lightweight division of Bellator MMA. He
initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of
the Ultimate Fighting Championship (6â€"2), Bellator Fighting
Championships (1â€"4) and later ONE Championship (2â€"3).Huerta was
born in Los Angeles, California. He had an arduous childhood with life
continuing to be difficult throughout his teen years. Despite
adversity, he has overcome many challenges, ultimately living what has
been described as a "life that Hollywood producers make movies about".
Born to Lydia and Rogelio Huerta in Los Angeles, California, he spent
the first 6 years of his life in Texas. His father became heavily
involved in drugs and alcohol and began an affair with another woman
that led to a separation with Lydia.Huerta's mother became physically
abusive, and when Huerta came to school with bruises covering his
body, Child Protective Services intervened, placing him in a foster
home for a short time. In 1990, Lydia lost the custody battle for
Huerta and fled the United States with Huerta, age 7, to her
parents’ home in El Salvador. Shortly upon arriving, Lydia abandoned
Huerta leaving him in the care of his grandparents at the time of the
El Salvadoran Civil War. She returned a year later only to leave him
on his father's doorstep in Texas. That was the last time he saw his
mother. Huerta openly talks about the mental and physical abuse he
endured from his father and stepmother in that year. The next year he
was relocated to Mexico and left with his father's parents living in
poverty. They would often send him out into the streets selling
picture frames to tourists to make money. For a brief time, his father
and stepmother came back into his life where they moved to the Rio
Grande Valley and enrolled him halfway through the year into 3rd
grade. At 12 his father left home, and soon after Roger was kicked out
by his stepmother. He lived on the streets for many years and survived
by joining a youth gang. He often slept in alleys and on rooftops, but
was encouraged by his friends to remain in school where he could eat a
provided breakfast and lunch.He occasionally stayed with friends and
just before his freshman year, his life began to turn around for the
better. Maria King, his friend's mother, obtained legal custody of him
and the three moved to Austin, Texas where he attended David Crockett
High School (Austin, Texas). For one of the first times in his life he
found himself in a stable environment and became quite popular in
school and joined many of the school's sports teams including football
and wrestling. It was there he met Jo Ramirez, his English teacher,
where she learned about his troubled childhood in a conversation
discussing his future ambitions. Furthermore, Bryan Ashford, the
school's wrestling coach, took a special interest in Huerta and
continued to support him in division wrestling. Ramirez, already a
mother of seven, adopted Huerta in 2002 at the age of 19.
currently fighting in the lightweight division of Bellator MMA. He
initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of
the Ultimate Fighting Championship (6â€"2), Bellator Fighting
Championships (1â€"4) and later ONE Championship (2â€"3).Huerta was
born in Los Angeles, California. He had an arduous childhood with life
continuing to be difficult throughout his teen years. Despite
adversity, he has overcome many challenges, ultimately living what has
been described as a "life that Hollywood producers make movies about".
Born to Lydia and Rogelio Huerta in Los Angeles, California, he spent
the first 6 years of his life in Texas. His father became heavily
involved in drugs and alcohol and began an affair with another woman
that led to a separation with Lydia.Huerta's mother became physically
abusive, and when Huerta came to school with bruises covering his
body, Child Protective Services intervened, placing him in a foster
home for a short time. In 1990, Lydia lost the custody battle for
Huerta and fled the United States with Huerta, age 7, to her
parents’ home in El Salvador. Shortly upon arriving, Lydia abandoned
Huerta leaving him in the care of his grandparents at the time of the
El Salvadoran Civil War. She returned a year later only to leave him
on his father's doorstep in Texas. That was the last time he saw his
mother. Huerta openly talks about the mental and physical abuse he
endured from his father and stepmother in that year. The next year he
was relocated to Mexico and left with his father's parents living in
poverty. They would often send him out into the streets selling
picture frames to tourists to make money. For a brief time, his father
and stepmother came back into his life where they moved to the Rio
Grande Valley and enrolled him halfway through the year into 3rd
grade. At 12 his father left home, and soon after Roger was kicked out
by his stepmother. He lived on the streets for many years and survived
by joining a youth gang. He often slept in alleys and on rooftops, but
was encouraged by his friends to remain in school where he could eat a
provided breakfast and lunch.He occasionally stayed with friends and
just before his freshman year, his life began to turn around for the
better. Maria King, his friend's mother, obtained legal custody of him
and the three moved to Austin, Texas where he attended David Crockett
High School (Austin, Texas). For one of the first times in his life he
found himself in a stable environment and became quite popular in
school and joined many of the school's sports teams including football
and wrestling. It was there he met Jo Ramirez, his English teacher,
where she learned about his troubled childhood in a conversation
discussing his future ambitions. Furthermore, Bryan Ashford, the
school's wrestling coach, took a special interest in Huerta and
continued to support him in division wrestling. Ramirez, already a
mother of seven, adopted Huerta in 2002 at the age of 19.
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