Walt Harris says UFC return hinged on slain stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard answering prayer

Not long ago, Walt Harris was in a dark place.

On October 23, 2019, Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old college student and the stepdaughter to the UFC heavyweight fighter, went missing in Alabama. A search ensued as the story eventually entered the national news spotlight. The MMA community came together seemingly like never before in an effort to spread awareness and locate Blanchard.

After weeks of searching, Blanchard’s remains were found Nov. 25. Law enforcement officials allege she was kidnapped at a gas station by Iraheem Yazeed, who then shot and killed her. Two other arrests were also made in connection with the alleged murder.

Devastated, Harris understandably took time away from MMA. His scheduled fight against Alistair Overeem in December was canceled as a result. That’s when Harris said he slipped into darkness.

“I went through a dark, dark period as you know,” Harris told reporters at a virtual UFC on ESPN 8 media day held Thursday. “You could probably already imagine. I felt myself slipping in the opposite direction of what I set out to be as a man and as a father.”

A conversation with his wife, Angela, sparked an idea. Instead of avoiding training, why not use the gym as an outlet to take his mind off an unimaginable situation? Harris admits he struggled with the idea of turning his attention away from his daughter’s death – even if for just a brief moment.

“I had a talk with my wife one day, and she was like, ‘Why don’t you start back training and get your mind off of it?’” Harris said. “There was a point where, honestly, thinking about anything but my daughter was wrong. I battled that so hard. I was like, ‘If I go back to fighting, am I not thinking for her? Am I not doing the right thing by her?’”

While the tragedy spiraled him into darkness, Harris attributes her memory to pulling him out of it. It was the jump start he needed to reembark on his UFC journey.

“I prayed about it,” Harris said. “I could hear her telling me, ‘Daddy, I want you to go back. I want you to fight. This is what we worked so hard (for). I sacrificed so much. Mom sacrificed so much. You sacrificed so much to get to where you are. I would be more upset with you if you stopped fighting.’

“That’s when I went back in the gym and started getting back in shape. I put a goal out there of when I wanted to fight, just to kind of give myself some incentive and motivation outside of what I already had.”

For the first time since July, Harris will return to the cage Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8 and headline in a rebooking against Overeem.

“Out of me, you’re going to see the same me – explosive and athletic but with a renewed vigor,” Harris said. “My focus has been laser sharp since the tragedy. I’m fighting for a different purpose. My daughter is with me everywhere I go. When you’ve got something like that pushing you, man.

“Right now, at this point in my career, I feel like I could run through a brick wall. He’s going to be facing a dangerous man on Saturday night, for sure.”

Not only does Harris hope to spread Blanchard’s memory, he hopes to instill it in the legal system. In an effort to make sure violent criminals are kept behind bars, Harris has been working with government officials on “Aniah’s Law.” Harris said the bill was moving up the system, but its progress has been paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.