How will Walt Harris respond in his first fight back?
What Harris had to endure late last year is something no human should ever have to endure.
Harris was scheduled to face Overeem at UFC on ESPN 7 in the bout that ultimately ended up Overeem vs Rozenstruik. But Harris went through every parent’s worst nightmare when his 19-year-old steppdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, went missing in a case that made national headlines, then was found dead a month later.
We can’t imagine going through such grief, and there are few ways to transition from this topic back to fighting without it being awkward. But life does go on, and Harris has gotten back to his job, which he does really, really well, and he’s stepping back in for the biggest fight of his career.
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Because of what Harris has endured, here’s something you may have forgotten: Harris has been making quite a name for himself. He’s won each of his past three fights by finish. His past two were both by knockout in a combined time of 1:02, most recently a 12-second finish of Aleksei Oleinik.
If that run of finishes continues against Overeem, then it’s time to stop calling Harris a prospect and start calling him a contender.