In the fall of 2019, the world of martial arts was shocked by a tragedy. The daughter of the American fighter of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Walt Harris has died. Sport recalls a nightmare that crossed out a career final for a classy heavyweight.
If he wins, he only knocks out
Today's birthday boy came to the UFC ten years ago. During this time, Harris was kicked out of the league and brought back. He was caught doping after a triumph over Andrei Orlovsky, took two bonuses for «Performance of the Night», defeated Alexei Oleinik, was inferior to Nikita Krylov and Shamil Abdurahimov. At some point, Walt went on a four-match unbeaten streak and came close to the title race in the most prestigious UFC division. The fighter, nicknamed The Big Ticket, had 13 wins. All obtained by knockout!
And then came the fall of 2019. After it, the athlete lost ahead of schedule to Alistair Overeem, Alexander Volkov and Marcin Tybura. The American did not announce his retirement. However, it is clear that after that shock, the sport faded into the background for Harris.
In July, the fighter will have his first fight after a two-year break. The opponent will be Josh Parisian.
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Disappeared
What is so crippling Harris? In the fall of 2019, his 19-year-old stepdaughter Anya Blanchard did not return home from college. The town of Auburn seemed to «swallow» the girl. She was last seen in a store near the school. A day later, Anya was recognized as missing — the search began.The family bore the hardest ordeal steadfastly. It was especially difficult for the wife of a fighter, who had already lost a child. Hope was maintained to the last, since the media did their best to search. Photos spread around TV channels and social networks, the police combed the area day after day.
The governor of Alabama has appointed a reward of $5 thousand for information about the whereabouts of Anya or her kidnapper/murderer. The head of the UFC, Dana White, also took the floor. The head of the promotion, the champion Jon Jones and the manager of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ali Abdel-Aziz, expressed their readiness to add another $25,000 to the amount.
Two days later, the girl's car was found. All covered in blood. The versions of the police were obvious: either Anya was kidnapped, or she was already dead.Two weeks passed. The Auburn Police Department released surveillance footage from the store. A suspicious man was identified from the video, who turned out to be a recidivist Ibrahim Yazid, who was released on bail. He, who drove him to the scene of the kidnapping, the bandit Anthway Fisher, as well as a certain David Johnson Jr., were arrested on charges of kidnapping. But where is Anya? Despite the time that had passed since the disappearance, all of America hoped for a miracle.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen. The decomposing body of a girl was found on November 25 near a Baptist church in the village of Macon County. Law enforcement agencies confirmed a sad guess: the remains belonged to the stepdaughter of a UFC fighter. The cause of death was a gunshot wound.
«I know you want me to stay strong»
Fischer and Johnson were eventually released. But Yazid was placed in one of the Texas prisons without the right to make bail. However, the verdict has not yet been passed.
The criminal's plan has clearly failed. No calls to parents, no ransom. Yazid pushed Anya into the car and, driving away from the witnesses, shot her dead. The attacker himself at the trial claimed that the captive tried to take away the weapon, after which a shot rang out.
How Yazid justifies himself is not particularly important — justice must be done. At the end of 2022, he was charged with three counts. The offender faces life imprisonment or the death penalty. True, a fair punishment is unlikely to console Anya's relatives and friends.
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"Dear girl… I want to thank you for changing my life for the better. For teaching me how to be a man and a father. For being the biggest fan in wins and losses. For always knowing what to say to make me smile when I wanted to give up. You light up my path. Unbearable pain… I know you want me to stay strong, but it's so hard. I promise I'll find a way. Nothing makes sense at this point, I'm lost. I just want you back. I hope that gave reasons to be proud of me … I will continue. Dad needs some time… I love you so much. Watch over us, as always. We need you now more than ever. My little mighty tiger cub has become an angel. Love you baby forever".
Walt Harris
American MMA fighter