Dhafir 'Dada 5000' Harris: 'The next great thing could very well come out of the backyard'

Dhafir Harris, star of the Netflix documentary “Dawg Fight,” remembers a time when he was at a crossroads with Team Kimbo.

As Harris recalls, he wanted to step away from his role of entourage tough guy and continue promoting unsanctioned backyard fights, the very type that had made Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson an Internet sensation.

“They saw it different, so I went my separate route,” Harris told MMAjunkie Radio. “They told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life.”

It didn’t quite work out like that. Harris gave up his job as Slice’s bodyguard. But along the way, he honed the promotional skills that would be depicted in “Dawg Fight.” Ultimately, his role as a carnival barker/fighter/motivational speaker would bring him more fame than he ever could have achieved in Slice’s shadow.

While Slice was trying to go legit as a MMA star, Harris put on more and more backyard shows in his hometown of Perrine, Fla. Eventually, he had something resembling a professional event, though they were still technically illegal in the eyes of state regulators. The rawness of the talent in his makeshift ring, the unfiltered violence that transpired when two men began winging punches, the characters that popped up at events – all of it was exactly the type of story for Billy Corben, the filmmaker behind the popular “Cocaine Cowboys” documentaries.

It took five years to finish, but “Dawg Fight” was eventually released to the world. Harris (2-0) eventually followed in Slice’s footsteps, becoming a professional MMA fighter in 2010 in what became the film’s finale.

Slice’s MMA career would sputter in 2008 after a high-profile knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli. A brief run in the UFC, on the heels of an unsuccessful turn on “The Ultimate Fighter 10,” would come to and end after two fights. Until former Strikeforce chief and Bellator President Scott Coker called to remount an ill-fated meeting with Ken Shamrock, Slice had been inactive for five years.

“I ask those individuals over at Team Kimbo to this day, ‘Do you think I still made the biggest mistake?’” Harris said. “I’ve been in Maxim, ESPN several times, Miami Herald, (Orlando) Sun-Sentinel, VICE. We’ve broke records for everything we’ve done, and it’s clear, anything that I throw up, it blows up.”

Harris has a list of immediate accolades to trumpet the film’s success, but he said the real victory can be found in the influence of backyard brawling in pop culture. He cites his work on a recent commercial for EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA 13 as proof of his work’s impact.

“(The game) sold more than a million games its first week out, because we pulled the page right out of the backyard, making these individuals seem rougher around the collar,” Harris said. “When you talk about corporate, when you talk about people of influence, we’ve developed something great down here in South Florida. I pride myself on getting corporate America to trade in their suits and ties for baseball hats and tennis shoes, because the next great thing could very well come out of the backyard – not a dojo camp.”

After the release of “Dawg Fight,” Harris is moving to capitalize on the film’s success. He’s mounted his old show as a pay-per-view product, “Back Yard Brawl Extreme Fighting Series,” and recently held his first event. Originally scheduled to take place on a cruise ship, the June 5 fight card was moved to land after the threat of inclement weather.

It’s location? Away from prying eyes.

One thing hasn’t changed for Harris. The bravado that drove him away from one rising star, toward his own version of celebrity, inflects his every word.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM channel 92, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.