It’s arguable that the UFC heavyweight division is the shallowest of all the weight classes in MMA, but this weekend at the TUF 18 Finale a fresh face will look to make his presence known in the land of the big boys.
That would be none other than Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris, the 30-year-old heavyweight training out of American Top Team who will be making his UFC debut against Jared Rosholt on the TUF 18 Finale preliminary card. With a 6-1 pro record, Harris drew UFC president Dana White’s intrigue due to his combination of standup skills and athleticism, and the promotion signed him earlier this fall.
Watch the entire TUF 18 finale Saturday on Sportsnet 360 starting at 8 p.m. EST and watch a bonus prelims on sportsnet.ca at 7:30 p.m. EST
It’s a pretty amazing story because Harris has only been training in MMA for a few years. Before that, he was actually a college basketball player, having played for Jacksonville State, and he was even good enough to get a few NBA tryouts.
However, he wasn’t deemed good enough to actually play in the NBA and never ended up reaching his goal of competing in the big show of basketball. But when that dream ended, another one became a reality for Harris, who earlier this week spoke to The Parting Shot Podcast about his path to get into mixed martial arts and, eventually, the UFC.
“I had a couple NBA tryouts after college that didn’t pan out. I went through a two-year period where I didn’t do anything, and I got out of shape,” Harris said. “I wanted to get into shape because the athletic fires in me were still burning. So I was at a Gold’s Gym and I met my coach and he asked me to start fighting. I fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Harris actually only had a few weeks of karate experience as a kid as his lone martial arts base – in other words, nothing – so it’s absolutely amazing to think about how far he’s come in such a short period of time. But considering his natural talents as an athlete, it’s not all that surprising, and Harris says this weekend he’ll show the UFC fans just why he’s such an exciting new addition to the heavyweight ranks.
“I’m not like a typical heavyweight. I’ve always prided myself on being a different type of heavyweight to push myself to reach that elite level,” Harris said. “I move more, I’m athletic, I’m fast and I’m skilled. People just look at me and think, ‘That guy’s huge, he’s probably going to just throw a bunch of power shots.’ But I’m actually really technical.”
Obviously, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva agrees with Harris because he signed the Alabama native to the UFC despite only seven pro fights, which means he must see the potential in Harris’ skillset that the fighter himself sees.
“I knew for the past two years I was close to being signed to the UFC,” Harris said. “The call from the UFC was the happiest day of my life. To see a dream come true, it was amazing. I’ve worked night after night and day after day to get to this point. When it happened, it took a week to sink in, and I thought man, that’s amazing. It’s surreal. Every day I still wake up sometimes and it’s surreal. Like journalists asking you questions. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing. “
And he’ll certainly get the chance to answer more journalists’ questions at the TUF 18 Finale post-fight press conference if he’s able to defeat Rosholt in impressive fashion. According to oddsmakers, Harris is a near 2-to-1 underdog to Rosholt, but if you ask Harris, he’s totally fine with that.
“I’ve been an underdog in just about every fight I’ve taken since I turned pro,” he said. “It’s a motivator, man, because I’ve been an underdog my whole life. I love it. It’s a blessing knowing that hey, they don’t know who you are, but they will.”
And considering he has been training with fighters like Glover Teixeira and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at American Top Team, it’s no wonder he has so much confidence right now. A recent trip to Jeff Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas certainly helped, too.
So Harris looks to take out Rosholt this weekend and then enter 2014 on a win streak in the UFC, which is the precursor to him reaching his goal of getting a UFC title shot.
“My goal for 2014 is to get two wins and to break into the top 10. To be considered a top 10 heavyweight in the world would be amazing. I’m looking to go in there and try to impress Dana to the point where he’s like, ‘Whoa, we gotta give this kid a chance.’”
And if he KOs Rosholt in impressive fashion, don’t be surprised if Harris is indeed fast-tracked up the ladder, which is exactly where “The Big Ticket” aims to be – at the top of the game, just like where the man he took his nickname from has been for the last decade, albeit in another sport.
“I’m called ‘The Big Ticket’ because I envision myself selling out of arenas and being a big draw. I know (NBA superstar) Kevin Garnett had it, but he’s retiring soon so I figured he wouldn’t mind if I borrowed it.”
Now, let’s see if “The Big Ticket” lives up to the billing this weekend.
