Andre Harrison: Unapologetically Unbeaten

Andre Harrison: Unapologetically Unbeaten

Undefeated former WSOF featherweight champion Andre Harrison continues his run to a title at Professional Fighter's League 2.

Jul 25, 2017 by Duane Finley
Andre Harrison: Unapologetically Unbeaten
At the end of a conversation with Andre Harrison, there are a few crystal-clear points you take away from the talk. And they go as such:

The wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist has an undefeated record since dedicating his career to cagefighting.

He's snatched up gold in every promotion he's ever competed for and is currently working to do the same under the Professional Fighters League banner.

He's been about that blue-collar grind from the jump, and while his style may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, he doesn't care in the slightest.

Finally -- and the most important takeaway -- Harrison is unapologetic about every single point made above this one. You want to beat him? Stop him from doing what he does best.

And so far, no one has been able to do it.

Since making his professional debut in 2011, Harrison has faced 16 opponents inside the cage, and none have found a way to stop "The Bull" from imposing his will. There's pride to be taken in that dominance, and that's precisely what Harrison has found in his body of work heading into his next bout on Saturday, July 29, at Professional Fighters League 2 in Everett, WA.

Yet, the unbeaten 29-year-old is also one of a handful of elite talents who have spent the entirety of their careers competing outside of what the masses consider to be the top promotions in the sport. Despite battling stigmas and criticisms because of that fact, Harrison is quite all right with those hovering narratives as well.

"A lot of things are changing in this game," Harrison told FloCombat. "Just recently, we saw [Gegard] Mousasi leave the UFC and sign with Bellator because he wasn't happy with how things were going where he was at. Mousasi is a tough, tough guy and a great fighter so for him to make that change says a lot.

"For the longest time, the majority of people have associated MMA with the UFC, and we are seeing things start to shift in that department. People are realizing there are other promotions out there with talented fighters. When they see someone like Justin Gaethje coming in and taking out a top guy in exciting fashion then they start to wonder where he came from. They wonder how this guy is 18-0, and they'd never heard of him.

"That makes them take a look, and when they do that and see I'm 16-0, that makes them wonder who else they don't know about yet," he added. "The same applies to David Branch, and if these guys are going over and winning fights the same way they were in previous organizations, who is to say the UFC is better?"

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Photo Credit: WSOF

Although Harrison's next fight will come against Steven Rodriguez (10-2) on Saturday night, it was his most recent outing at World Series of Fighting 35 back in March that really built momentum for bigger things to come. On that night, Harrison toppled a highly touted Lance Palmer in a hard-fought affair to earn WSOF gold, keeping his undefeated record intact.

The win over Palmer brought plenty of eyes to Harrison, and that's all part of the larger plan where he is concerned.

"I don't carry a chip on my shoulder because I believe I'm the best featherweight out here regardless. Period," Harrison said. "I have no problem handing out 'I told you so' cards. Defeating Lance Palmer was great because people say all I do is wrestle, and Lance is a four-time Division I All-American and [they said] how I wasn't going to be able to wrestle with him.

"I knew that was wrong because I do more than just wrestle in there, but I was an All-American as well. It may not have come at the Division I level like Palmer, but I was a Division II All-American and knew my wrestling was right where it needed to be. That showed in the fight, and I was right.

"If you look at the Palmer fight and the fight against [Alexandre] Bezerra, in both cases I approached [them] on the feet," Harrison added. "I didn't initiate a single takedown with either opponent. People assume all I do is wrestle but don't bother to look at the fact I wasn't the one trying to take the fight to the ground in those cases."

With momentum at his back, Harrison knows he brings a versatile skill set to the table, and the same rings true for the up-and-coming prospect he's fitting to face inside the cage this weekend.

Due to both men having plenty of tools to work with, Harrison has no doubt fight fans will be treated to an exciting tilt at PFL 2.

"It's a fight and anything and everything could happen while you are out there. I just train hard and hope that training pays off at the end," Harrison said. "This is going to be an action-packed fight because [Rodriguez] tries to do everything as well. He's not going to focus on just one avenue and that makes me have to be ready for everything in there.

"That same rings true with me because there are a lot of different ways I can travel to get this victory. It's going to be a great fight."

While stacking victories is always the plan in Harrison's mind, the former All-American also has a taste for gold. Furthermore, Harrison has proven to have a knack for getting his hands on that gold, and his hunger for achieving that end isn't fading any time soon. 

Even though PFL just recently launched and won't crown any champions until next year, Harrison already has his eyes on the ultimate prize of dominating the featherweight ranks until his place as king is undeniable.

"There's always two ways to look at any situation, and I could have looked at it as a negative, but that's not who I am," Harrison said. "I could have been upset that I won the belt and everything changed over, but instead I'm sitting in my living room looking at the World Series of Fighting belt knowing no one is ever going to hold that again. I got the last one and that's cool.

"I've been a champion everywhere I've competed. Even going back to amateur that's been the case. Since I've turned pro, I've won the Ring of Combat title. I won the Titan FC title and the WSOF title as well. Now I'm working to earn the PFL championship, and you best believe I'm going to make that happen."