Former UFC middleweight contender Gerald Harris: "I messed up"
http://mmajunkie.com/news/21558/former-ufc-middleweight-contender-gerald-harris-i-messed-up.mmaBelieve it or not, Gerald Harris (17-3) is not angry.
Despite being released from the UFC following a decision loss to Maiquel Falcao (26-3) at UFC 123, Harris does not harbor ill will toward the organization or UFC president Dana White, who was openly critical of Harris' performance.
Instead, Harris said he has learned a valuable lesson from his release and vows to be a better fighter the next time he's in the cage.
"I messed up,I had the biggest opportunity in the world, and I didn't seize the day. I didn't take advantage of the situation I was in.
"I don't feel sorry for myself in a sense of being cut. I'm more disappointed with my performance than anything. That's what hurts me the most."
Harris brought a three-fight octagon win streak (and 10 consecutive wins overall) with him to the octagon at UFC 123. In Falcao, Harris drew a newcomer to the promotion – but one "Hurricane" insists he respected.
"Talent-wise, I compared him to Wanderlei Silva," Harris said. "He's an explosive guy. He has fast hands, great jiu jitsu, great boxing, good wrestling. He's a well-rounded guy and extremely aggressive.
"Anybody with 21 knockouts – and two of his three submissions were from punches – they're going to bring the heat. I never questioned his cardio. I gave him so much respect, like I do all of my opponents."
But the aggressive Falcao approached the bout in a more subdued fashion, and the strategy left Harris scrambling to adjust.
"It didn't go as planned, obviously, but from the little film I did have and from Chute Boxe's reputation, he came in with a whole different gameplan that threw us off," Harris said.
Harris found himself in trouble in the opening round, and Falcao worked to his back in the closing seconds. That's when things got weird.
The signal to end the round appeared to come approximately seven seconds early, and Falcao wasn't in any rush to let go of the choke. Harris' supporters claim the extra-long choke very likely affected his performance for the remaining two rounds. Harris doesn't.
"The choke, I'm past that," Harris said. "I shouldn't have given up my back. If he held it for two or three extra seconds, oh well. The adrenaline is pumping, and you're going to do crazy stuff like that. That's not my issue. My issue is the way I performed that night, and he had something to do with that. He put a beating on me. He controlled the fight."
Falcao nearly submitted Harris again in the second frame, and some Harris detractors have pointed to a "fake tap" as the only reason he was able to keep from being submitted by the Brazilian.
"I promise you, I would never in my life fake-tap," Harris said. "If you want to count getting choked like hell and reaching for my neck as tapping, then go ahead, but I would never fake-tap.
"The cameras are on you, so you really can't fake-tap anyway. I've seen people accused of it. There are motions that may look like it, but in a scramble, it's going to look crazy. I never fake-tap."
But it was the third frame that drew the ire of White. With Falcao content to ride out the clock and Harris unable to mount any significant offense, the final round played out as a complete stalemate that White dubbed the "Ultimate Staring Competition."
Harris admits he has little recollection of the third round but knows the performance was unacceptable.
"It's a blur," Harris admitted. "I got blasted a couple of times in that fight. Any fighter can tell you when you get rocked, you kind of go away and come back and realize, 'Oh, hey, I'm still in this.' We clashed a couple times in scrambles, and I got in trouble.
"The only thing I remember about the third round is in the last 10 seconds, he started going nuts like he was about to do something. The third round is a blur, honestly. I remember going after him. I wasn't scared. I was going after him, but I wasn't throwing haymakers."
And ultimately, it was Harris' unwillingness to engage in the final round that led to his release from the sport's biggest promotion. While the roster move enraged many MMA fans, Harris said he understands why the decision was made.
"I didn't show enough initiative to win the fight," Harris said. "If it was a [preliminary-card] fight, I probably wouldn't be in that much trouble, but they gave me the opportunity of a lifetime (on pay-per-view), and I blew it. I really blew it. I have nothing to blame it on. I'm not blaming it on the choke. I had a great training camp. Everything was great other than the fight. I have no excuses, none at all.
"I don't want to use the words 'reality check' or 'wake-up call,' but they didn't make an example out of me. They set the standard for fighters. They've made it clear that they're not going to accept that type of performance. I don't care who you are; they don't accept that kind of performance on the big stage."
Financially, Harris said he's fine for now. And sure, being released from the UFC was frustrating, but Harris isn't ruling out the potential for a return to the promotion at a later date.
"I was cut; I was not banned," Harris said. "It hurts to be cut. It's your job, and you lost your job, but I'm fine. My bills are paid. I don't have any debt. I don't have a new car. I didn't start living a lifestyle that I have to keep up now. I'm fine. That may surprise a lot of people, but I still roll in my raggedy car with the dents in it.
"I'm glad that Dana didn't say, 'You will never fight in the UFC again.' He said, 'You looked like [expletive], and you need to go home and think about it.' They just don't have time for performances like that."
It is a surprisingly positive outlook from a fighter who easily could have a chip on his shoulder right now. Instead, Harris said he wants to take the experience and turn it into something positive.
"It wasn't personal," Harris said. "It was just a business decision. I can't disagree with a business decision when there's money involved. We're paid to perform, and I did not perform on that night.
"I know what I have to do. I promise you this: The next time you see me fight, you're going to see a different person. I consider being cut a negative thing, but I'm going to try and make it a positive. This can give me an opportunity to fight in my hometown. This can give me the opportunity to make the changes I need to become a champion."
Harris' release from the UFC after posting a 3-1 record in the octagon unquestionably was one of the most controversial roster moves the promotion has ever made, as witnessed by the outpouring of support for Harris seen on message boards and forums across the Internet. But Harris isn't crying foul.
In fact, while he has yet to determine where he'll fight next, Harris promises the performance will be one of his best ever.
"I appreciate all the support from the fans," Harris said. "The fan response was amazing and meant a lot to me.
"I fought so hard to get into the UFC. I got cut off 'The Ultimate Fighter.' I fought three fights on the [preliminary card] to get to that main-card spot, and it just didn't go well. I went into that fight with an undercard mentality or a local-show mentality. You have to say, 'Man, I'm in the UFC. I'm on the biggest stage of my life. I have to step my game up.' I didn't do that.
"Being in the UFC alone is like being in the playoffs or March Madness. You have to step your game up. I'm a great fighter, but I did not step my game up that night. I'm going to make changes, and the next time everybody sees me fight, they'll notice the changes."
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