Getty Alistair Overeem (top) fights Walt Harris (bottom) in their heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 16, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida.
UFC heavyweight Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris stepped inside the Octagon for the first time since the death of his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard. Things did not go the way the fighter hoped, however, losing his match against Alistair Overeem by second-round TKO. After the fight, he was interviewed by UFC color commentator and current lightweight fighter Paul Felder.
During his speech, Harris thanked the UFC, saying that “they’ve been amazing through this whole process. My wife, and my family and I are so grateful. We owe you guys everything.”
He also thanked his coach, Chris Conolley. An emotional Harris said, “I love you so much, brother. He was with me every day, man, through everything.” Harris went on to thank his teammates, his city of Homewood, Alabama, and the UFC fans watching around the world.
Harris said, “I’ll be back better, I promise you. You ain’t seen the last of The Big Ticket. I’ma go home and recover. I’ma heal emotionally and physically and I promise you I’ll be better.”
Here is a video of Harris’ post-fight interview:
Respect and love to @TheBigTicket205 💙 #UFCFL
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Harris Was Dealt His First Loss Since 2017 on Saturday Night
May 16’s UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris was the third UFC event in a week. It took place at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. This event also happened to be Harris’ first time ever headlining a UFC card.
With this loss, Harris’ professional mixed martial arts record fell to 13-8 and one no contest. This loss also snapped the fighter’s two-fight win streak and marked his first defeat since 2017.
Overeem’s record improved to 46-18 and one no contest. He is now 3-1 in his last four bouts.
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