Life came quick for \u201cThe Hammer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight prospect RJ Harris scored a massive win in his Octagon debut, knocking out Alvin Hines in under two minutes at UFC Oklahoma City<\/a> this past weekend (Sat., July 18, 2026) inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (watch highlights<\/a>).<\/p>\n And the whole thing happened incredibly fast.<\/p>\n Harris accepted his UFC debut on just one week\u2019s notice, replacing Allen Frye Jr. It was a pretty wild signing because Harris seemingly came out of nowhere.<\/p>\n That is because he has only been a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter for a little more than one year.<\/p>\n Sure, Harris picked up some solid wins on the regional scene, including a victory over Contender Series veteran Phillip Latu, but making it to the biggest fight organization in the world just 16 months after turning pro is still insane.<\/p>\n And while accepting the UFC call was obviously a no-brainer, Harris admitted there was some hesitancy in the back of his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d get to the UFC this quick. Not at all,\u201d Harris told MMAmania.com recently. \u201c[When I got the call] I thought about it for a little bit and was nervous. Thinking about it and stuff like, is it the right move? Is it too soon? There was worry there, the fear of the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut really, just coming down to it, it was me believing in my ability and everything like that,\u201d Harris continued. \u201cIt just really was kind of a no-brainer almost. Like, do I feel like I deserve to be there? I feel like I have the skill to be there. For sure, I just needed to prove to myself that it\u2019s a possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Harris only needed less than two minutes to prove that he deserved to be in the UFC.<\/p>\n The undefeated Heavyweight cracked Hines early, followed up with an uppercut and then pounced with ground-and-pound to secure a violent first-round finish.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the finish and everything, it was amazing,\u201d Harris said. \u201cIt felt great. I couldn\u2019t ask for any different way. Everything that went into it and the way it came out was just the best. Probably one of the best feelings I\u2019ve had this whole time. So I really enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n As much as Harris would love to get right back into action, he has something much bigger coming first.<\/p>\n His wife is 36 weeks pregnant with their first child, so the 6-0 prospect is going to sit back, get used to being a first-time dad and deal with all of the sleepless nights that come with it.<\/p>\n Oh, and he is also already back at his full-time job as a union lineman.<\/p>\n In fact, Harris said some of the \u201cbig bosses\u201d are stopping by this week to congratulate him on his UFC debut win.<\/p>\n In a perfect world, Harris hopes to return for his second UFC outing in late October, giving him enough time to figure out his schedule with a newborn at home.<\/p>\n For now, though, Harris can enjoy one hell of a week.<\/p>\n He became a UFC fighter, scored a knockout, went back to work and is about to become a dad.<\/p>\n Not bad for 16 months as a professional fighter.<\/p>\n