UFC's Roger Huerta Wants Shinya Aoki, Josh Thomson, and Gilbert Melendez

UFC lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) told Sherdog Tuesday that he is officially a free agent and would consider signing to fight in the UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator Fighting Championships.

Huerta fulfilled his contract with the UFC with split decision loss to Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City in September and has entered a one-year matching period during which the UFC has the right to match any offer made to Huerta by competing promotions.

Before losing to Maynard, Huerta had claimed he would retire from fighting to pursue an acting career.  Howver, after the loss, he indicated he had reconsidered and told Sherdog he would like to return to MMA in February or March.

Huerta’s manager, Jeff Clark of NCFC Management, told Sherdog, “We’ve had a lot of interest from different parties.”

Huerta expressed specific interest in fighting second-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4), Strikeforce champ “Punk” Josh Thomson (15-2-1), and interim Strikeforce champ “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (16-2).