Walt Harris made an emotional return to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Harris. The fight marked The Big Ticket’s first fight since the shocking murder of his stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard. There was a show of respect before and after the fight. The respect was evident on social media too, with fellow heavyweight Francis Ngannou putting out a heartfelt message. 

Francis Ngannou sends a warm message to Walt Harris 

‘The Predator’ was in action at the very same Octagon a week back at UFC 249. He was closely following his division’s fight and took to Twitter praising The Big Ticket’s grit and determination in returning after all he has been through. 

He wrote, “I’m very proud of Walt Harris. I can’t really imagine what he been through but it must have been hell. Seeing him perform in the Octagon tonight just shows that we can overcome everything when we have a why.”

Harris seemed to have pulled off the win in the first round when he had Alistair Overeem on the ground. However, ‘The Demolition Man’ managed to fight out of it. As the fight went on, the Dutchman gained the upper hand and dominated. However, willed on by fans from home ‘The Big Ticket’ held on.

In round 2, though, Overeem proved to be too tough for Harris. He delivered a mean kick which resulted in The Big Ticket crashing onto the canvas. A few moments later, the referee ruled Harris unable to defend himself and stopped the fight.

Immediately after the fight, the combatants shared a moment of respect. Also, The Demolition Man was not over the top with his celebrations. His post-fight speech too was short and to the point. 

Later, The Big Ticket broke down as he delivered an emotional speech thanking the UFC, the fans, his team and community for being with him in his troubled times and helping him deal with fate’s cruel blow. 

“Thank You so Much Dana”- Walt Harris Gets Emotional After Loss Against Alistair Overeem