UFC NEWS: Gerald Harris on his UFC release - "I really blew it, I have nothing to blame it on"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Gerald Harris' release from the UFC last week following his very first loss in the organization came as somewhat of a shock, and drew the ire of a lot of fans one message boards around the internet. But for Harris, his performance in his UFC 123 bout with Maiquel Falcao falls on him, and he's most disappointed in himself.

"I messed up," Harris said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "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."

While some felt the UFC was making an example out of Harris with the release, Harris insists that wasn't the case, and again brings the blame back upon himself.

"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."

This isn't the end of the road for Harris, and he believes with a run outside of the UFC that he can make a return to the organization.

"I'm glad that Dana didn't say, 'You will never fight in the UFC again,'" Harris said. "[Dana] 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...

"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.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: Harris has about as good of an attitude as could be expected in his situation, and you've got to commend him for taking the brunt of the blame for why this release happened. That performance was not indicative of who he is as a fighter, and it's not how he's fought in the past. He'll be back in the UFC if he can win a fight or two outside of the organization, especially with how he's taken the cut here. By reacting to the cut like he has, the UFC is definitely going to be open to his return if he performs well in his next number of fights.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7669.shtml

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