Walt Harris has been scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem on three separate occasions.
Three times, the fight has been moved from its originally planned date. However, according to UFC heavyweight contender Harris (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC), the fight could still happen May 16.
“I’m hearing May 16 as a possible date that we could fight,” Harris told MMA Junkie. “He’s here. They have him quarantined right now. I’m hoping that it goes through. Every day is day-to-day. Some days, you never know. You could wake up and everything is going great. The next day, everything changes.
“We’ll see, man. I’m just trying to stay as ready as I possibly can during this time. Hopefully the fight will happen, man. It’ll be a great honor to get in there and fight Alistair.”
Harris and Overeem were originally scheduled to fight Dec. 7 at UFC on ESPN 7. However, Harris withdrew from the bout due to the kidnapping of his stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard. The fight was rebooked for UFC on ESPN+ 30 on April 11, an event which was eventually postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The delays, Harris admits, have been frustrating. Adversity is nothing new, however. Throughout his career and personal life, there have been high highs and low lows. Harris has become accustomed to dealing with both.
“It’s frustrating from a personal standpoint as far as a fight and my career, but it’s a part of life,” Harris said. “Like you alluded to, I’ve been through a lot of things in my life. It’s just part of it, man. I think God does things on his own terms, so I don’t get stressed out about things. I just try to do my best to stay ready and stay focused and be ready when my number is called. It’s part of the process and my journey to the UFC – ups and downs. It’s nothing new. I just stay focused and keep going.”
Check out MMA Junkie’s full interview with UFC heavyweight Harris in the video below.
