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Fighting through college

Christopher Jivan

Arizo Junior David Harris pummels his way toward a UA degree

na Daily Wildcat

When David Harris steps into a cage fight he is not fighting for his life - he is fighting for his education.

For the past three years, Harris, a physics and engineering junior, has been paying for his tuition with the prize money he earns from fighting in organized competitions.

"I fight in no holds barred competitions," Harris said, describing the two-man competitions. "You're allowed to kick, punch, throw knees, wrestle, choke and do joint locks."

Throwing the first punches

Harris, who clashes three to four times in a month, first became interested in cage fighting in early adulthood.

"I started boxing when I turned 18, and at one of the boxing fights there was a flyer for a cage fight," Harris said. "I've wanted to do something like this since I first saw one on TV - so I called up the promoter and asked if I could compete."

In September of 1998, Harris participated in his first cage fight, which he said was an exhilarating experience.

"When you've trained hard for a fight with a good opponent and you win, there is no greater rush than that," Harris said. "During the fight, you don't notice the crowd or the lights. You forget about everything but the fight. It's a pure moment."

Since that first fight, Harris has gone on to compete in 26 more competitions, including two U.S. Open national championships. His current record stands at 21-5.

Like any other sport, cage fighting requires a lot of training and preparation. Harris balances his training schedule with his academic career by running two miles and lifting weights before his 8 a.m. classes.

"It's a must to be prepared because, if not, you're in for a headache," Harris said. "I train in jujitsu, which is a martial art that specializes in ground fighting. I also train in kick boxing."

Even during finals week, Harris did not stray from competition, fighting twice at the Wildcat House, 1801 N. Stone Ave. - May 4 and last Sunday.

Playing the game

When fighting, Harris said there are basically three ways to end a competition.

"A person can win when his opponent is knocked out or taps out to declare himself out of the fight," Harris said. "Submissions (tap outs) occur when there is no way out of a situation, i.e. you're being choked and can't breath or you could be stuck in a position where you can have a joint broke (sic). The tap out is basically crying uncle."

Besides knockouts and tap outs, Harris said the third - and least exciting - way to end a fight is when the referee stops the fight if he believes it is unsafe to continue.

Despite the risk involved, Harris has never been seriously injured in a fight, nor has he seriously injured anyone else.

"The worst I've done is broken my hand," Harris said. "These fights are not as dangerous as many people believe. They are fast and intense, but whenever you get into too much trouble, the referees will stop the action if the fighter is too stubborn to give up when he is in a very dangerous position."

Throughout his career, Harris has battled many professional fighters, but some have also been students.

"I have fought people from New York, Idaho, Canada - people from all over, really," Harris said. "I also fight in Colorado, San Diego and a couple other places around the country."

A culture of contention

Harris said there is a legacy and tradition to these fights, which he has enjoyed - and relied upon - for years.

"These types of fights have been around since the beginning of time. In my opinion, it is man's oldest sport," Harris said. "The organization of these fights started in Brazil and were used as ways of refining one's fight technique and to find out what worked and what didn't.

"The popularity of this sport started in America with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, which started several years ago, and since then, its popularity has grown a lot and continues to grow."

Harris has not decided yet if he wants to continue fighting after graduation. But regardless of whether Harris continues the sport after college, fighting will always be an important part of his past.

"I don't know how much longer after graduation I will be fighting, but I do know that fighting will always be a part of my life," Harris said.

Christopher Jivan can be reached at catalyst@u.arizona.edu.