Tag: theultimatefighter

Gerald Harris Living His UFC Dream, Not Forgetting the Path to Get There

Filed under: UFCEvery fighter has a story behind his story, how he got to where he is. Gerald Harris’ back story is about good enough to warrant a nickname change from “Hurricane” to “Mr. Persistent.”

Harris had 10 pro fights under his belt when he w…

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Gerald HarrisEvery fighter has a story behind his story, how he got to where he is. Gerald Harris‘ back story is about good enough to warrant a nickname change from “Hurricane” to “Mr. Persistent.”

Harris had 10 pro fights under his belt when he won a spot on Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter in 2008. He won his first fight in the house, but lost his next to eventual champ Amir Sadollah.

Normally, the majority of fighters on TUF seasons get one more crack on the season finale card. But for TUF 7, just five fighters from the show fought on the finale – and Harris wasn’t one of them.

He returned to the relative obscurity of regional shows – but with only one goal in mind: win, win, win and get back to the UFC.

Matt Hamill: Friendship Out the Door vs. Tito Ortiz at UFC 121

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveOvershadowed by a heavyweight title fight, and the promotional debut of one of the most successful non-UFC fighters in history, teacher and student square off at UFC 121.

Matt Hamill was was one of Tito Ortiz’s pri…

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Overshadowed by a heavyweight title fight, and the promotional debut of one of the most successful non-UFC fighters in history, teacher and student square off at UFC 121.

Matt Hamill was was one of Tito Ortiz‘s prized pupils on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” On Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., they meet nearly five years after filming the show, and their careers couldn’t be going in much more opposite directions. Yet most eyes are on Brock Lesnar-Cain Velasquez and Jake Shields-Martin Kampmann.

Ortiz is far removed from his days as one of the most dominant champions in UFC history. He hasn’t won a fight in four years. Hamill, on the other hand, has won four straight. But Hamill isn’t looking at the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately side of his former coach, now adversary.

“Tito has fought a lot of good fighters and he has had amazingly close fights,” Hamill told MMA Fighting. “But I’m not thinking about his record or what his own mindset coming into this fight is. I’m just focusing on fine-tuning my own skills and my own mindset.”

Matt Mitrione: I’m That Guy People Don’t Wanna Get Punched By

Filed under: UFCAll eyes were on Matt Mitrione.

The former NFL and all-Big Ten Conference lineman at Purdue had already been labeled a rat by his “Ultimate Fighter” housemates for spilling his team’s planned matchups to the opposition. He had been ca…

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Matt MitrioneAll eyes were on Matt Mitrione.

The former NFL and all-Big Ten Conference lineman at Purdue had already been labeled a rat by his “Ultimate Fighter” housemates for spilling his team’s planned matchups to the opposition. He had been called out by his coach, Rashad Evans, for being merely sore and not injured. And then there were the voices in his head (which he has said after the fact was just an act to alleviate boredom).

Against Scott Junk in a preliminary fight on TUF 10, Mitrione threw kicks and punches with wild abandon. Near the end of the first round, it was clear he had already used up most of his energy. He won a majority decision in a fight that was a mashup of ugly and fun.

A year later, Mitrione is 2-0 in the UFC with a knockout win over Marcus Jones on the TUF 10 live finale last December and a TKO of Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 in May. But it was the fight with Junk that helped make a different voice go off in his head. It was a voice that told him to slow up a little, and Mitrione said that’s the most important thing he’s learned since leaving the TUF house.

Matt Serra, Chris Lytle Expecting Much Different Fight in Sequel at UFC 119

Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse ExclusiveChris Lytle was “surprised” when the UFC called to offer him a rematch with Matt Serra. Serra was downright “shocked.”

Typical UFC rematches happen soon after a controversial finish or because a title is on…

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Chris Lytle was “surprised” when the UFC called to offer him a rematch with Matt Serra. Serra was downright “shocked.”

Typical UFC rematches happen soon after a controversial finish or because a title is on the line. When they come four years later, it’s usually because of some bad blood, an old grudge or because the first fight was so good it’s hard to resist going to the well one more time.

But that’s not really the case with Serra-Lytle II on Saturday at UFC 119 in Indianapolis. By both Serra and Lytle’s admissions, their first meeting was, well, a bit of a dud.

Stephan Bonnar-Igor Pokrajac Planned for TUF 12 Finale

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsStephan Bonnar, the light heavyweight who became an MMA household name after his epic fight with Forrest Griffin on the season finale of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will once again fight on a TU…

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Stephan Bonnar, the light heavyweight who became an MMA household name after his epic fight with Forrest Griffin on the season finale of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will once again fight on a TUF card.

Sources close to Bonnar’s camp confirmed to MMA Fighting on Saturday that he has been offered a fight against Croatian Igor Pokrajac for the TUF 12 finale and has verbally agreed to the bout, though contracts have not yet been signed.