Nobody will ever confuse Little Rock, Ark. with Little Havana, although UFC fighter Roli Delgado wishes there was a Little Havana in Little Rock.

Delgado, whose grandparents emigrated from Cuba in 1965, is set to take on Andre Winner on Nov. 14 in Manchester, England, as part of UFC 105. The 6-3, 155-pound lightweight visited South Florida a few weeks ago to train with American Top Team in Coconut Creek.

It wasn't all groundwork, boxing and ju-jitsu for Delgado as he took some time off to indulge in some Cuban cuisine.

"I had Cuban food every day," Delgado said. "My grandfather would make the papaya shakes, the chicken soup, the roasted pork. I drank café con leche every day. We don't get that in Arkansas."

With so much to choose from in a Cuban restaurant menu, which item makes Delgado salivate the most?

"The Cuban sandwich with the ham, the pork and the rest of it," Delgado said. "It’s hard to pick one, but the sandwich includes it all. I finish it off with a flan, and I'm in heaven. The flan is the only thing my wife makes, but she's learning."

Cuban dining isn't the only thing Delgado has taken away from his heritage. The 27-year old, who is 8-4-1 in his MMA career, considers himself a disciplined fighter who follows his trainers orders and is never late. He credits it all to his grandfather and his Cuban background.

"Cubans have a phenomenal work ethic," Delgado said. "They’re prosperous when it comes to business, and my grandfather taught me by example."

Delgado bought his first house when he was 21 and now owns a gym in Little Rock. He followed his grandfather and father's example when it came to saving and responsibility.

He has also learned another important value – how to take care of what's important, which to Delgado is his wife of three years, Jennifer, and his son, Rolando Delgado IV.

"My grandfather is a family oriented man," Delgado said. "He didn’t drink. He spent time with the family. He would go on vacations with the family. It puts things in perspective. In my line of business it's easy to get distracted, but when it comes to family I'm always focused."

Delgado carries his Cuban heritage every time he enters the octagon, not only in his heart and in his all out effort performances, but also in his nickname.

His nickname: "The Crazy Cuban."

But Delgado isn't crazy at all.

"It was a joke," Delgado said with a laugh. "I had a friend in Arkansas who would call me 'The Crazy Cuban' all the time. One time before a fight, I saw him in the crowd and told the announcer to call me 'The Crazy Cuban.' My friend got a good laugh, but the nickname stuck. At least I carry the Cuban part very proudly."

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