Kaleb Harris enters BKFC 9 not wanting to be known as a one-hit wonder
Mississippi's own Kaleb Harris returns to Bare Knuckle FC for a third time, stepping into the squared-circle once again this Saturday, November 16 at BKFC 9.
Originally scheduled to fight Drew Lipton, Harris now meets Jeff Chiffens in a change that came just last week. Harris made the announcement while appearing on an episode of Combat Insiders.
Combat Insiders interview with Kaleb Harris
"I'm just ready to shock and awe again," Harris said of the upcoming fight. "I found a home here with Bare Knuckle FC. It's been fun."
Harris would drop a split decision to Harris Stephenson at BKFC 5 in April, but then bounced back with a vicious knockout blow over Johnavan Vistante at BKFC 7 in August.
WATCH THE VIRAL KNOCKOUT WIN BELOW:
"Man it was crazy," Harris said of the fan interaction following the big win. "I had so many people tagging me in clips and videos. I was going back and trying to respond to every single person. I had fans from Scotland that apparently had been fighting me since the first Bare Knuckle FC event I did, fans from Israel, from the Middle East. They were messaging me on Instagram and telling me how they had watched my knockout and been following me, even in my MMA career, and I had never known about it. For the first week or two it was kind of hard to keep my head leveled because it was kind of like 'wow, this is what is what it is like when your name is known.' I leveled myself back out thanks to my team and we started working on the next one because I don't want to be known as a one-hit wonder.
Now wtih several fights under his belt, Harris is all in on bare knuckle.
"Don't get me wrong, I still look forward to fighting MMA again when the opportunity arises, but I think for me personally, I grew up a soft kid," Harris said. "My whole life I looked for every way possible to challenge myself and make myself harder, prove myself to everyone and say, 'I am a fighter. This ain't nothing.' I heard about bare knuckle and thought 'I want to give that a try.' I never fought bare knuckle before except for a street fight. I fought Harris Stephenson and it came to a split decision. The second I stepped out of the ring I was telling my coach as I was going back to get stitched up, 'I want to do it again. I can't wait to do it again.' It was something new and exciting. Then my second fight I got an even bigger taste. Once I got the knockout and saw that my name was getting attention and people were recognizing me. I have a goal. I want to be able to live and provide off of what I do, what I love to do, which is fighting. I want to be able to get up in the morning, go train for fights and have that be how I pay my bills. Right now bare knuckle has opened a big door for me."
A jam packed night of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship action will lead up to the highly anticipated main event rematch between Artem Lobov and Jason Knight on Saturday, November 16 live on pay-per-view.
Harris makes prediction for BKFC 9 main event:
"I don't see it going five rounds again. I'm always going to pull for the Mississippi guy so I'm gonna pull for Jason. I met Jason back when I was like 15 years old. I just somehow I end up being the co-main event again."
"BKFC 9" will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television distribution outlets for $29.99. It will also be available to BKFC's international broadcast partners worldwide and via stream to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices through FITE.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now at www.bareknuckle.tv or the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office.
