Gerald Harris facts for kids

Gerald Harris (born November 19, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He is known for fighting in big organizations like Bellator, the UFC, and World Series of Fighting. He was also a contestant on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 7.

Early Life and Wrestling

Gerald Harris grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He went to East Central High School. Later, he wrestled in college at Cleveland State University. He holds the record for the most wins on their wrestling team.

Starting in Mixed Martial Arts

Gerald Harris began mixed martial arts (MMA) by chance. A friend convinced him to try it for fun, and Gerald needed money. He took his first exhibition fight for $200. He won that fight and was invited to join a tournament. His professional fighting career officially started in August 2006. Gerald won his first five fights.

After being on The Ultimate Fighter, Gerald trained with famous fighter Rampage Jackson. He later moved to Arizona and then to Colorado to train with different teams.

The Ultimate Fighter TV Show

Gerald Harris was on the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter. This show helps new fighters get into the UFC. He was part of Team Rampage. Gerald won his first fight to get on the show. However, he lost his next fight to Amir Sadollah, who ended up winning that season.

Fighting in the UFC

Gerald Harris joined the UFC in a unique way. He called into a radio show where Dana White, the UFC President, was a guest. Gerald praised himself and then revealed who he was. He told White he wanted to fight for the UFC. White was impressed and offered him a four-fight deal.

Gerald's first UFC fight was in January 2010. He won by TKO in the third round. He also earned a "Knockout of the Night" bonus for his performance. In his second UFC fight, he won by TKO in the first round.

His most famous UFC win was against David Branch. Gerald won by knockout after a powerful slam in the third round. This knockout was so impressive that it was shown on many sports highlight shows. He earned another "Knockout of the Night" bonus for this win.

Even though he won three fights in the UFC, Gerald was surprisingly released from the organization.

After the UFC

After leaving the UFC, Gerald continued to fight in other promotions.

• Tachi Palace Fights: He won a fight here by decision, but he broke his hand during the match.
• DREAM: Gerald signed a deal with this Japanese fighting promotion. He won his debut fight there.
• Legacy Fighting Championship: He had several wins in this organization, including his first fight at welterweight.

World Series of Fighting

Gerald Harris joined the World Series of Fighting in late 2012. He fought Josh Burkman in his first fight there, losing by decision. In his second fight, he won against Jorge Santiago. Gerald announced his retirement from MMA in April 2014.

Returning to Fighting

After being away from the sport for two and a half years, Gerald Harris returned to fighting in December 2016. He won his comeback fight by knockout in the first minute. He won another fight in October 2017 with a powerful slam.

Fighting in Bellator MMA

In April 2018, Gerald joined Bellator MMA. He took a fight on short notice against Rafael Lovato Jr. and lost. After this, he signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator. He fought two more times in Bellator, losing both matches. After his last fight in Bellator in March 2019, he announced his retirement for the second time.

However, Gerald returned to fighting again in November 2019. He won his fight by decision and then declared his retirement from the sport once more.

Personal Life

Gerald Harris is married to his wife, Nicci. They have a large family with eight children together.

Achievements and Awards

Gerald Harris has achieved a lot in his wrestling and MMA career.

Collegiate Wrestling

• Cleveland State University

* He was inducted into the Cleveland State University Athletic Hall of Fame for wrestling in 2013.

Mixed Martial Arts

• Freestyle Cage Fighting

* He won the FCF Middleweight Championship two times.

• Titan Fighting Championship

* He won the TFC Middleweight Championship one time.

• Xtreme Fight Night

* He won the XFN Welterweight Championship.

• Shark Fights

* He won the Shark Fights Middleweight Championship one time.

• Ultimate Fighting Championship

* He received the "Knockout of the Night" award two times for his fights against John Salter and David Branch. * UFC.com also recognized him as the "Best Newcomer" in the first half of 2010. His knockout against David Branch was ranked as the #6 Knockout of the Year in 2010.

• USA Today

* His knockout against David Branch on July 3, 2010, was named "Knockout of the Year" by USA Today.

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Mixed Martial Arts Exhibition Record