Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced that Roger Huerta has been added to the UFC 74 fight card and that he will take on Alberto Crane, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt from New Mexico. This matchup joins the exciting lineup of fights for UFC 74, including the heavyweight championship fight Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga and Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck. UFC 74: RESPECT will take place live from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Saturday, August 25.
“Roger has shown that with the right dedication and motivation, you can overcome a tough upbringing and find your way to success,” said UFC President Dana White. “On August 25, he will face a new challenge with Alberto Crane, and we will find out which of these two fighters can keep their perfect record intact. I think this will be one of the best fights we’ll see at UFC 74.”
Tickets for UFC 74: RESPECT are on sale now and are priced at $800, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50. Tickets will be sold at any Mandalay Bay box office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s stores and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
UFC 74: RESPECT is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD)
Roger “El Matador” Huerta overcame a harrowing upbringing in Mexico, El Salvador, and Texas before finding wrestling in high school. That sport set his life on a positive path that would eventually lead him into mixed martial arts and eventually to the UFC. With a 4-0 record in the Octagon™, Huerta holds a convincing decision victory over Jason Dent at UFC 63 and a 19-second victory over John Halverson at UFC 67. He also won a decision over Leonard Garcia at UFC 69 in a three round battle that was honored as UFC’s “Fight of the Night.” A split-second moment of this fight was also captured by Sports Illustrated and became the magazine’s first ever cover of a UFC fighter.
In his most recent fight, Huerta took on Doug Evans, a state wrestling champion fighting out of Alaska. Evans showed his grappling and wrestling expertise in the first round, but Huerta bounced back in the second round and dominated Evans on the ground, unleashing a barrage of strikes until the referee called a stop to the fight.
Huerta is excited to get back in the Octagon and to fight at UFC 74.
“I am honored to be part of this great fight card. I can tell you without a doubt that you will see a Roger that you have not seen before,” said Huerta. “I will be faster, stronger, and more explosive than ever. I feel hungrier than ever and I will dedicate this fight to all of the UFC fans who have supported me. I wish the best to my opponent, and I look forward to fighting him August 25.”
Alberto Crane has a perfect 8-0 record. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, seven of his eight victories have been by submission. Alberto is very excited about his UFC debut, and he is certain he will stop Huerta’s win streak at UFC 74.
“Fighting in the UFC is a dream come true,” said Crane. “I have always wanted to fight in the UFC and I am grateful to finally have the opportunity to show what I can do. The only thing I have to say to Roger is ‘let’s bring it’ and give the fans a good show.”
Huerta vs. Crane is on the main card and will be broadcast on PPV. For more information about UFC 74 or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo and Setanta PPV in the United Kingdom.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
