Former IFL Fighter Gerald Harris Chosen for “The Ultimate Fighter 7?

Former International Fight League middleweight Gerald Harris (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been chosen as a cast member for the upcoming seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

A source close to the 28-year-old fighter confirmed the selection with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) over the weekend. (The Wrestling Observer was the first to report the selection.)

“The Ultimate Fighter 7,” which debuts April 2 on Spike TV, features UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and season-one winner Forrest Griffin as coaches. Unlike past seasons, the show will feature 32 — not 16 — middleweight fighters vying for a UFC contract. As MMAjunkie.com exclusively reported, every potential cast member will have to fight as soon as the show begins. The 16 winners earn a spot in the house, and the 16 losers are knocked out of the competition.

Harris found his way into MMA after a successful collegiate wrestling career at Cleveland State University. His 118 victories over a four-year career are the most in the school’s history. He went 40-5 his senior year to qualify for the NCAA championships for the third time.

After graduating from CSU, Harris taught high school history and coached the school’s wrestling team. He’s also began a second career as a stand-up comedian.

However, after fighting — and excelling — in a small MMA show, he was hooked on the sport. And since turning pro in August 2006, the Oklahoma native has spent time working with MMA notables such as Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland to sharpen his game.

Harris began his career with five straight victories before earning an alternate spot on the IFL’s Portland Wolfpack and later the Iowa Silverbacks. He made his IFL debut in April 2007 and suffered a close but unanimous decision loss to Fabio Leopoldo (he’d earn a “Fight of the Night” bonus for the performance). Harris then suffered a first-round TKO to IFL stand-out Benji Radach in his next fight and was gone from the organization.

With Harris, the latest rumored cast includes:

1. 
   
2. Paul Bradley (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
3. Matt Brown (7-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
4. Steve Byrnes (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
5. Timothy Credeur (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
6. Mike Dolce (3-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
7. C.B. Dollaway (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
8. Gerald Harris (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
9. Mike Marrello (6-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
10. Prince Mclean (4-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
11. Aaron Meisner (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
12. Reggie Orr (4-5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
13. Jeremiah Riggs (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
14. David Roberts (5-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
15. Amir Sadollah (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
16. Brandon Sene (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
17. Dan Simmler (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
18. Jesse Taylor (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
19. Luke Zachrich (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)

For the latest news about “The Ultimate Fighter 7,” check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.