Walt Harris looking to return earlier than expected after stepdaughter's tragic death
Walt Harris is possibly going to make his return to the Octagon sometime soon!
The UFC Heavyweight was scheduled to headline the December event of UFC on ESPN 7 with Alistair Overeem but had to pull out owing to his stepdaughter's sudden disappearance. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Harris' manager, Jason House of Iridium Sports, confirmed the approximate time of his client's comeback.
Harris aiming for an April return
Harris had pressed pause on his career to prioritize his personal life, as his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard was reported missing on October 23. The 19-year-old was last seen in Auburn, Alabama.
Harris had put out an Instagram post at the time, sharing details of Blanchard and her car, and urging everyone to keep an eye out and report anything relevant to the Auburn Police. But the incident took a tragic turn as Blanchard's body was found near Macon County more than a month later. The police have charged Ibraheem Yazeed in the ongoing case.
While the entire MMA community was by Harris' side throughout the tragedy, it was unknown how long the situation will keep the fighter out of the Octagon. But with House's confirmation, fans can expect him back this April, although no fixed date or opponent has been talked of.
Harris also confirmed that he is back in training and is preparing for whatever fight is pitched to him next, with a picture posted on Instagram with the caption 'Together we stand!'
Right before his hiatus, Harris was a two-match winning streak, with two stunning first-round knockout victories over Sergey Spivak and Aleksei Oleinik.