Ariel Sexton Wants to Make a Name for Himself by Beating Roger Huerta

Ariel Sexton is coming off two hugely impressive stoppage wins and has been rewarded with a shot at an opponent who needs no introduction. At ONE: Dynasty of Champions, the Costa Rican takes on UFC and Bellator veteran Roger Huerta in what will be the most important fight of his career to date.

Huerta has won multiple Fight of the Year awards and was the first mixed martial artist to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. He’s a big name and Sexton is excited to be going up against an opponent who is known for getting involved in memorable battles.

“I always put up highlight real fights and would expect nothing less than the ONE Warrior Bonus of 50k for a fight to be remembered. I’m going for the win all the way.”

The bout is taking place at the Hefei Olympic Sports Centre on Saturday night and Sexton believes a win over Huerta would be enough to secure him a lightweight title shot.

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“I think I will deserve a title shot after this win. I’m fighting today for the opportunity to put that belt around my waist. ONE has top level lightweights. I want to fight the best in the world, and if Huerta is the guy to fight to get to Aoki then I must.”

Huerta was in a three-round war with Koji Ando last year in which the American showed his willingness to keep coming forward and throwing punches regardless of how much punishment he had to take in the process.

Sexton knows what Huerta brings to the table both in terms of his heart and his skill set, but the Costa Rican is confident he will prevail over the UFC veteran on Saturday night.

“I know of him and we have friends in common too. He seems like a cool dude, but work is work and I try not to focus too much on others, only on myself and what I can do. My best is always going to be better than anyone else’s. Everyone has weaknesses and it’s my job to exploit that in Roger.”

ONE Championship continues to focus on China and this will be Sexton’s second time fighting in the world’s most populous country. Last time out, he scored a seldom seen reverse triangle keylock submission against Anvar Alizhanov in Beijing, which earned several nominations at the end of year awards.

Hefei might be nearly 700 miles away from Beijing, but at least Sexton is familiar with fighting in the country and he’s excited about returning.

“I’m super exited to fight in China. I’m a super fan of the orient and their culture, movies, food, and magnificent temples. So yes, it’s an amazing experience that I will treasure for many years to come.”

Sexton’s only loss for ONE Championship came at the hands of Kamal Shalorus in 2014. It was a controversial decision with the majority of observers agreeing that the Costa Rican had done much more damage during the fight, a key criteria under the promotion’s unique scoring regulations.

Since then, Sexton has finished both of his opponents and he says he learned a valuable lesson from that contentious defeat.

“I lost a close fight to Kamal due to takedowns. He did nothing to me, no damage or even close to finishing the fight. I did way more and I believe the judges could have given me the fight. Never leave fights to the judges, that’s why you got to finish.”

Last time out, Sexton did just that, hurting Eddie Ng with an uppercut before finishing him with a rear-naked choke. The finish was rendered even more impressive when it turned out that the Costa Rican had broken his arm early in the opening round.

Sexton holds a black belt in BJJ and has showcased some impressive striking in the ONE Championship cage. It’s impossible to quantify a fighter’s heart or spirit, but he and Huerta clearly have both in abundance and that could make for an exciting contest in Hefei on Saturday night.