UFC’s Maynard expects to see Huerta’s best act

Gray Maynard has made fighting his career.

His opponent on an Ultimate Fighting Championship card tonight has simply used the sport as a springboard to other opportunities.

Maynard does not see that as added motivation as he tries to remain unbeaten as a professional.

“I try to keep it all a job,” he said. “If you start kind of having everything else creep in, then it kind of becomes more like, ‘I want to kick his ass because of this or that.’ It’s not personal, it’s a job.”

Maynard will fight Roger Huerta in a lightweight bout on tonight’s Ultimate Fight Night card in Oklahoma City. The event will be broadcast on Spike TV (Cable 29).

Huerta has essentially left the sport to pursue other opportunities. He has filmed a role in the soon-to-be-released “Tekken” movie and is seeking other parts.

It has been more than a year since he last competed, but he has taken this fight to fulfill the last bout remaining on his UFC contract.

Maynard, however, is still operating on the assumption that Huerta will be coming into this fight fully focused.

“I’m always the type to count on the best version of my opponent coming. It’s going to be the best Huerta. It’s going three rounds, and I’m prepared,” Maynard said.

He added that fighting is the only thing in his future.

“He’s got options, I guess. He’s got movies. He’s got the good looks,” Maynard said of Huerta. “I don’t have (any) options. I’m going to do this, and it’s all I do. I’m an ugly guy. I’ve got to be good at fighting.”

Thus far in his career, Maynard has been very good.

The 30-year old Las Vegan is 7-0 as a pro, including five wins in the UFC. Maynard had two minor knee surgeries after defeating Jim Miller by decision in March, but he says he is healthy now.

He thinks he will need to be to defeat Huerta, who was one of the sport’s rising stars when he announced his plans to pursue acting and modeling opportunities in January. The announcement came months after he suffered his first UFC loss, to Kenny Florian in August.

Huerta’s star power quickly rose as he piled up victories, though some have questioned the level of his opposition.

He was the first mixed martial artist to appear on the cover of “Sports Illustrated,” in May 2007, and was riding high as he won five fights in that calendar year, including a dramatic third-round submission victory over Clay Guida in December.

He then competed just once in 2008, the loss to Florian.

“He was built pretty good. (The UFC) did kind of help him out and build him up,” Maynard said of Huerta. “It isn’t easy, but he didn’t have a really tough test until Clay, and Clay is kind of more of a brawler, too, and it was just kind of whoever got clipped. I think he was down two rounds and he (secured the submission). There wasn’t a guy that came in with an actual game plan until Florian. Clay was obviously a test, but Kenny was a real test.”

Huerta didn’t pass it, and now Maynard hopes to send him to Hollywood with a second straight loss.

In the main event, Nate Diaz will meet Melvin Guillard in another lightweight bout. Also, Carlos Condit will fight Jake Ellenberger, and Nate Quarry will meet Tim Credeur.

The televised card, which will begin tape-delayed at 8 p.m., serves as a lead-in to Season 10 of the UFC’s reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter.” It’s one of the most anticipated seasons in the show’s history, as several former NFL players and Internet fighting sensation Kimbo Slice are among the 16 cast members competing for a lucrative UFC contract.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.