From Cage To Stage, Tulsa Man Goes From MMA Fighter To Comedian

A Tulsa native found out he was a talented fighter in mixed martial arts, but also found out he was talented on another stage.

The wrestlers at Metro Christian don't have just any ordinary coach. Gerald Harris has had a taste of the big stage in the fighting octagon - now he looks to conquer a stage with a mic and some laughs.

One thing is clear about Harris, he's a fighter.

"Wrestled all my life, actually kept me off the streets. You know, I was living in Turley for a long time, lot of gang violence," he said.

Now a high school wrestling Coach at Metro Christian, there were two things that got Harris out of dodge.

Harris went into MMA and participated in the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. He didn't win, but still signed a six-fight contract with the top level UFC.

“I thought of it as competition, just like wrestling, and they kept paying me more and more," Harris said.

Things started out well - three knockouts in three matches – but the fourth ended in more than just a loss.

"It was a bad match, but I felt like my previous bout would have gave me some credit, but they didn't, they just let me go. I mean, it hurt," Harris said.

After being released, he jumped around to different circuits, but something else called to him.

"I've been a class clown since kindergarten. I got a class clown award in elementary, middle school high school and college," he said.

When he wasn't wrestling, comedy was the outlet.

"I love comedy, and I've always been able to improv, which is makeup stuff. So when I started doing comedy, I started off by saying, ‘What do ya'll want me to talk about,” Harris said. 

It started small, with 15 to 30 people; now he’s cemented a place as one of Tulsa's most popular stand-ups and just finished a comedy DVD at the Greenwood Cultural Center to a sellout crowd.

Now he's looking to move nationally.

Coaching is his current job, but after school is over, he going to be touring the Los Angeles circuit.

Coincidentally, his connections from his fighting days are helping him out to reach the top, and he'll continue his fight to go from the main cage to the main stage.

"It's not even about exposure anymore, it's about who you know, and that's always been the case, and I just need that chance. If I can sell out Tulsa, I can sell out anywhere," Harris said.