UFC welterweight Carlston Harris had no intentions at all of becoming a mixed martial artist till his early twenties. No, his goals in life were much less lofty- mainly to make sure his family had enough to eat. Having moved to Brazil in 2007 to become a mechanic, the 170-pounder was on his way to living an ordinary life. While ‘Mocambique’ had started training in boxing and Luta Livre after moving to Brazil, it wasn’t intending to be a prize fighter.

He just saw it as a way to keep himself fit. But fate had different plans for him. One day, ‘Mocambique’ bought a pirated version of the UFC 107 BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez war, and he was hooked. So much so that he made it his life’s purpose to become a UFC champ. But, to fully understand Harris’ story, we need to go back.

Which flag does Carlston Harris carry?

Carlston Harris is the entire reason the tiny South American country of Guyana has the sport of mixed martial arts. After all, ‘Mocambique’ is the first ever UFC fighter from the Caribbean country known for its stunning natural beauty. Born and raised in the remote, sparsely populated coastal town of Skeldon, Harris didn’t have many opportunities growing up.

This is why he decided to move to Brazil when he was twenty, eventually finding work as a mechanic in Manaus. It is in Brazil, with a vibrant and well-developed martial arts culture, where he would casually start training in boxing and Luta Livre. Then he saw former UFC multi-weight champion BJ Penn fight Diego Sanchez in 2009, which made him realize that MMA was a sport for warriors like him, thus decided to dedicate his entire life to MMA.

In 2011, at the age of 24, Harris made his MMA debut, eventually making his way to the world’s largest, most popular combat sports stage in the world – the UFC. And this would make him a celebrity in his native country and more importantly, it led to the first MMA gyms being opened in the country.

He holds the distinction of being the first (and as of December 2024, the only) mixed martial artist from Guyana. Needless to say he is incredibly proud of this, but he hasn’t forgotten the contributions of Brazil in making him the fighter he is today. In fact, ‘Mocambique’ fights under a hybrid flag representing two nations – the beautifully vibrant Guyanese, and the instantly recognizable Brazilian flag, even as Harris remains a Guyanese national.

More about Carlston Harris’ early life and family

Growing up in the town of Skeldon, Guyana, Harris’ early life was ‘complicated’. ‘Mocambique’ was raised by his mother and eight siblings as his father, who had five other children with another woman, wasn’t in the picture. We don’t know Harris’ ethnicity, but it seems like he is primarily of African ethnicity (based upon the eye test) with possibly some Amerindian and East Indian blood in him.

Growing up in poverty and with a huge family to take care of, Harris started working at a young age – primarily as a day laborer – to put food on the table. “You had to work to have something to eat later that day. You had to work every morning to eat in the afternoon,” ‘Mocambique’ would recall in a 2021 interview with MMA Fighting.

There were not many opportunities to improve his lot in life in Guyana. This is why Harris chose to move to Brazil armed with an indefatigable work ethic borne out of his early years, and a possessed of a burning desire to give his family a better life. The rest, as they say, is history. What do you think about Carlston Harris’ inspiring life story?