Lightweight veteran Roger Huerta reenters the fray on Sept. 1 when he takes on former title challenger Koji Ando at ONE Championship 30.
Huerta (22-7-1, 1 NC), once a burgeoning star in the UFC, returned to the division where he was most successful and resumed his winning ways last August when he picked up a devastating first-round TKO over Christian Holley. The victory snapped a four-fight slump for “El Matador,” and the 32-year-old appears to be primed to make a run at title contention under the ONE Championship banner.
Over the course of 15 months from 2006 to 2007, Huerta won six straight fights at 155 pounds to start his UFC career. The memorable run culminated in Huerta becoming the first MMA fighter ever to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated for his win over Leonard Garcia. Huerta hit a rough patch in his life after that, but he has since rebounded under the watch of Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.
Now he’ll get back in action against Ando (11-4-2), a Japanese veteran who dropped a decision to ONE Championship lightweight titleholder Shinya Aoki in May. The setback snapped a five-fight win streak for Ando, one which included a pair of finishes over Rafael Nunes and Zorobabel Moreira inside the ONE Championship cage.
ONE Championship 30 takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. Middleweight champion Igor Svirid is expected to collided against undefeated challenger Vitaly Bigdas in the night’s main event.
“We are excited to make our mark in Shanghai this September as we bring the best local and international fighters once again to mainland China,” ONE Championship CEO Victor Cui stated. “This card is headlined by a ONE middleweight world championship title bout and it will be very exciting to see our Kazakhstani world champion defend his title.
“We also have a roster of the best international fighters showcasing their talents in the ONE cage such as Roger Huerta, Dae Hwan Kim, and Kotetsu Boku. Also, our female MMA warriors will show combat sport fans around the world what women can do inside the cage. Local flyweights will also be competing to be the best and the chance to be the winner of our ONE Shanghai flyweight tournament.”
An updated ONE Championship 30 fight card can be seen below.
- Igor Svirid vs. Vitaly Bigdash
- Roger Huerta vs. Koji Ando
- Dae Hwan Kim vs. Koetsu Okazaki
- Kotetsu Boku vs. Major Overall
- Angela Lee vs. Elena Pashnina
- Jumayi Ayideng vs. LiGe Teng
- Rige Hu vs. Xiao Yang Liu*
- Li Gao Yang vs. Wang Ya Yong*
- Yang Jian Bing vs. Wan Jian Ping**
*Flyweight tournament semifinal
**Flyweight tournament alternate