Proprietor of the Trophy Stall Ramesh Sunich was beaming with joy on Tuesday morning, following a visit by Guyana’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Carlston Harris.
Harris, who is based in Brazil, is back in his homeland for the first time in 15 years.
During a brief visit to Trophy Stall’s Bourda Market location, Harris interacted with staff and management of the business, as well as customers in the market, some of whom took the opportunity to snap photos with the Berbician.
Harris then walked over to Trophy Stall’s other location at South Road where he was presented with a plaque by Sunich.
Printed on the plaque, carved out in the shape of the Guyana map, are the words: ‘Presented to Carlston Harris, the first Guyanese compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Best wishes for a successful career.’
Sunich said he was delighted to have Harris visit his establishment, adding that he has been following his sojourn in the UFC.
“My son Jonathon is a kickboxer in Canada and he is a big fan of Carlston, so I’m happy to be able to recognise him (Harris) for his historic achievements in the sport,” Sunich said.
The businessman added, “I’m a big supporter of sport development in Guyana and it feels good to see our sportsmen and women excel. This is a great achievement by Carlston, and hopefully more Guyanese can be inspired by him and make it in the UFC.”
Harris, who turns 35 in July, said he is extremely grateful for the love and support from all Guyanese, as he thanked the businessman for his show of appreciation.
The UFC fighter added that he will continue to represent Guyana with pride and joy every time he steps in the Octagon.
Harris started his UFC career in stunning fashion, racking up first round knockdowns over Christian Aguilera and Impa Kasanganay, both of the USA, last year. Notably, in the clash against Aguilera, Harris became only the 19th fighter in history to finish a fight with the Anaconda Choke Submission.
He however, suffered his first UFC defeat in February, losing in the first round to Shavkat Rakhmonov of Kazakhstan, which incidentally was his last fight.
The UFC signed Harris in January 2021, and at that time he was ranked seventh among the 583 active pro athletes in the Welterweight division in Brazil.
Harris trains at the Renewal Fight Team (RFT) in Rio de Janeiro, and prior to his entry to the UFC, he had a career record of 15 wins and four losses, beating seven of his last eight opponents up to that point.
