Walt Harris pointed to the sky and confidently showed off a T-shirt called "Fighting for Aniah" as he entered the arena.
He left with tears in his eyes a few minutes later, not the outcome that he had expected in his first UFC fight since his stepdaughterās death.
In the second round of their main event showdown on Sunday (AEST), Alistair Overeem stopped Harris, ending what was an emotional return for 'The Big Ticket.'
Walt Harris was a slight favorite and the sentimental choice when he first joined the octagon after his stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, was killed in Alabama.
Harris (13-8) looked as if he would knock out his 14th career in the opening round when he dropped Overeem. A more careful referee may possibly have put it to an end, but Dan Miragliotta has let it go.
Overeem, a skillful veteran, found his way back to his feet, and took advantage of an overzealous Harris to take the fight to the ground and dominate the remainder of the first round.
Then, Overeem (46-18) landed a high kick early in the second, and followed it up with his legs, until Harris hit the ground.
Overeem went to work from full back mount with his tired foe spilling out onto the ground and forced the stoppage.
On the mat Overeem shared an instant with Walt Harris. He, while fighting back tears, thanked the UFC, its staff and its friends.
āIām sorry I didnāt get the W for you tonight,ā Harris said. āYouāve been like my family through everything, and Iām so grateful. ... Yāall at home watching, Iām sorry. Iāll be back better, I promise you. You havenāt seen the last of The Big Ticket. Iām going to go home, recover. Iām going to heal emotionally and physically, and I promise you Iāll be better.ā
UFC President Dane White echoed Harrisā pledge.
āWin, lose or draw, being here is a win for him,ā White said. āHe got through tonight and who knows what was going through that guyās body, head, the whole deal.ā
Overeem said he agreed to train down the road with Harris, hoping that both of them could be better off in a stacked group.
āOf course, Walt has been through personal tragedy, which is awful,ā Overeem said.
āBut I see it as a sport. Itās a game, right? Itās a way of making a living. ... I just see it as professional, nothing personal.ā
After more than six months of mourning Harris' wife urged him to return to the octagon. A student at Alabama, Blanchard was last seen at a gas station in Auburn, Alabama on October 23.
Her SUV was discovered abandoned days later at an apartment complex in Montgomery more than 50 miles (90 kilometres) away. Police said they found her blood in the vehicle. Late November, their bones were found in a wooded forest.
Ibraheem Yazeed, 29, has been charged with murder of property. Blanchard died of a gunshot wound, as determined by the medical examiner.
Prosecutors have stated that if Yazeed is convicted they would seek death penalty. Two others are accused of hampering the investigator or helping Yazeed dispose of evidence.
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