fighter to return at UFC 116

[The Mac]

Middleweight Gerald Harris (15-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) seeks his third consecutive UFC win when he battles an opponent yet to be determined at UFC 116 in July.

MMAjunkie.com learned from sources close to the promotion that Harris has been targeted for a preliminary-card matchup at the event.

Featuring a highly anticipated heavyweight title-unification match between current champion Brock Lesnar and interim title-holder Shane Carwin, UFC 116 takes place July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs live on pay-per-view.

Harris was first introduced to UFC fans as a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 7," where eventual show champion Amir Sadollah defeated the Oklahoma native in the second round of the 32-man tournament. Harris was not asked back to the season's live finale and was instead forced to fend for himself in various regional promotions.

Harris went on to win six straight fights in various local shows, a circuit he frequently refers to with a laugh as the "Bum Fighting Championship," before he famously called in to MMAjunkie.com Radio to speak with in-studio guest and UFC president Dana White to ask for a job.

Shortly after, Harris made his official UFC debut with a win over fellow UFC newcomer John Salter at January's UFC Fight Night 20 event. Harris earned a third-round TKO victory and the evening's "Knockout of the Night" award.

Harris followed that win with a first-round stoppage of another UFC newcomer, Mario Miranda, at UFC Fight Night 21 in March.

After dropping the lone two bouts of his career in back-to-back fashion in 2007, Harris has since reeled off nine consecutive wins. Just one of those fights has gone the distance, and seven of the fights have ended in the first round.

[Konan]

thanks for the update