Returning Harris: UFC Cut ‘Best Thing to Happen to Me’
John Chandler Jan 6, 2010
Despite impressing many viewers with his raw talent on “The
Ultimate Fighter 7” in mid 2008, Gerald
Harris wasn’t given a spot on the show’s finale.
The UFC ultimately made the right decision.
“I was upset that they didn’t give me a fight. I was really upset
at the time,” said Harris. “However it turned out that not putting
me on the finale was the best thing that ever happened to me. That
and losing to Amir
[Sadollah] on the show.
“The thing is that I wasn’t ready. Sure, they could have put me in there and I could have gotten by against some of the guys, but I could just have easily gone 1-2 or 0-3 or something and gotten cut just like that. The difference is that I’m definitely ready now. I’ve done what I’ve needed to do to get to this point and now it’s my time to shine.”
The story behind Zuffa’s decision to bring Harris back is entertaining to say the least. After receiving word that UFC President Dana White was going to be a guest on an MMA radio show, Harris called into the program.
“At first [Dana] thought I was some British guy calling in to ask a question,” Harris said. “Then he figured out that it was me and was like ‘Dude, I need you back. Call me.’ I got a hold of him later that day and now look, I’m back.”
During his short stint on the reality show, Harris grinded out a decision over Mike Marrello to earn a spot in the house before suffering a somewhat questionable stoppage loss to eventual winner Sadollah in the quarterfinals.
“It wasn’t so much of a learning experience,” Harris said of the show. “The biggest thing I got out of it was the friendships that I developed. (Quinton) ‘Rampage’ (Jackson) has become a good friend of mine and I still talk to a lot of guys from the show. The exposure that came with being on there was nice too. But it wasn’t the same as everyone thinks it might be. I’ve learned a lot more from fighting in shows and attending big events and seeing what goes on.”
Following the show, Harris left Team Quest and moved to Arizona to be with his mother. Under heavy financial burden, Harris used his connection to housemate C.B. Dollaway and hooked up with Arizona Combat Sports, which provided Harris with housing and training while the 30-year-old got back on his feet.
Nights filled with tested patience and heartache came next. Over the next year and a half, Harris fought six times in a variety of small shows, many of which had his opponent changed multiple times just hours before the event.
The former high school history teacher and part-time comedian also had to overcome the death of his older brother, Corey, last March. True to the type of person his family and friends know him as, Harris fought seven days later and won before earning arguably the biggest victory of his professional career -- a first-round KO against UFC and WEC veteran Nissen Osterneck this past September.
Harris now finds himself a protégé of Nate Marquardt at the Grudge Training Center in Denver, a gym that he plans on making his official home later this year.
“Going to Colorado is another one of the best things to happen to me,” said Harris. “Just to witness a guy like Nate, who is ranked among the best in the world, and to see the things that he does and to be able to follow him around has been great for me.”
As for his opponent on Jan. 11, Harris expects a tough fight against Massenzio, who will be fighting for the first time in over a year after recovering from an assortment of injuries.
“There’s lots of tape on Massenzio out there so that’s basically what I’ve been going off of,” Harris said. “He’s a solid guy. He’s tough. You aren’t going to get an easy fight in the UFC. We’re working on some things and even though it’s short notice, we’re going to be ready to go.”
Even though he will enter the fight with less than a month of preparation, Harris insists that he’s never been more ready to show his skills inside the Octagon and that his date with Massenzio will be just as exciting as his journey back to the UFC.
“Man, I don’t want to jinx myself or anything,” said Harris when asked for a pre-fight prediction. “I’ve done that before, so let’s just say that I’ve never had a boring fight. Expect fireworks. I’ll leave it at that.”
More » UFC Fight Night 20 Lineup
The UFC ultimately made the right decision.
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“The thing is that I wasn’t ready. Sure, they could have put me in there and I could have gotten by against some of the guys, but I could just have easily gone 1-2 or 0-3 or something and gotten cut just like that. The difference is that I’m definitely ready now. I’ve done what I’ve needed to do to get to this point and now it’s my time to shine.”
A year and a half later, Harris is finally getting his chance.
Albeit on short notice, Harris will replace an injured Tim Credeur
against fellow IFL veteran Mike
Massenzio at UFC
Fight Night 20 on Jan. 11 in Fairfax, Va.
The story behind Zuffa’s decision to bring Harris back is entertaining to say the least. After receiving word that UFC President Dana White was going to be a guest on an MMA radio show, Harris called into the program.
“At first [Dana] thought I was some British guy calling in to ask a question,” Harris said. “Then he figured out that it was me and was like ‘Dude, I need you back. Call me.’ I got a hold of him later that day and now look, I’m back.”
During his short stint on the reality show, Harris grinded out a decision over Mike Marrello to earn a spot in the house before suffering a somewhat questionable stoppage loss to eventual winner Sadollah in the quarterfinals.
“It wasn’t so much of a learning experience,” Harris said of the show. “The biggest thing I got out of it was the friendships that I developed. (Quinton) ‘Rampage’ (Jackson) has become a good friend of mine and I still talk to a lot of guys from the show. The exposure that came with being on there was nice too. But it wasn’t the same as everyone thinks it might be. I’ve learned a lot more from fighting in shows and attending big events and seeing what goes on.”
Following the show, Harris left Team Quest and moved to Arizona to be with his mother. Under heavy financial burden, Harris used his connection to housemate C.B. Dollaway and hooked up with Arizona Combat Sports, which provided Harris with housing and training while the 30-year-old got back on his feet.
Nights filled with tested patience and heartache came next. Over the next year and a half, Harris fought six times in a variety of small shows, many of which had his opponent changed multiple times just hours before the event.
The former high school history teacher and part-time comedian also had to overcome the death of his older brother, Corey, last March. True to the type of person his family and friends know him as, Harris fought seven days later and won before earning arguably the biggest victory of his professional career -- a first-round KO against UFC and WEC veteran Nissen Osterneck this past September.
Harris now finds himself a protégé of Nate Marquardt at the Grudge Training Center in Denver, a gym that he plans on making his official home later this year.
“Going to Colorado is another one of the best things to happen to me,” said Harris. “Just to witness a guy like Nate, who is ranked among the best in the world, and to see the things that he does and to be able to follow him around has been great for me.”
As for his opponent on Jan. 11, Harris expects a tough fight against Massenzio, who will be fighting for the first time in over a year after recovering from an assortment of injuries.
“There’s lots of tape on Massenzio out there so that’s basically what I’ve been going off of,” Harris said. “He’s a solid guy. He’s tough. You aren’t going to get an easy fight in the UFC. We’re working on some things and even though it’s short notice, we’re going to be ready to go.”
Even though he will enter the fight with less than a month of preparation, Harris insists that he’s never been more ready to show his skills inside the Octagon and that his date with Massenzio will be just as exciting as his journey back to the UFC.
“Man, I don’t want to jinx myself or anything,” said Harris when asked for a pre-fight prediction. “I’ve done that before, so let’s just say that I’ve never had a boring fight. Expect fireworks. I’ll leave it at that.”
More » UFC Fight Night 20 Lineup
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