Conversations with Ian Harris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Harris.

Hi Ian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began as a stand up comedian and writer at age 21. I moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. I had been also training martial arts and boxing since I was 6. For about 8 years I was a professional comedian touring full time, training at every location I was working. I worked most of the US and was able to train with the best Martial artists, grapplers, etc while working with the best comedians in the business. In 2000 I landed some big representation here in L.A. and settled back down. Needing to stay in town more, I took a flexible but staff job editing and touring less, but still a lot. This lead to me needing to find a way to get back in shape, so one day in 2003 I found a place that allowed me to rent space and teach what later became called MMA. Soon people wanted to fight and MMA was illegal in CA, so we would go to Mexico on the weekends. This eventually turned into partnerships over many years at many MMA gyms, coaching the best fighters in L.A. (perhaps the world, definitely CA). I was still working in the entertainment business writing and directing films, directing comedy specials and touring when I could. I eventually ended up with 2 one-hour comedy specials of my own a very successful voice over career and was able to open the gym I currently have Fight Science MMA along with 3 of my former students. We have been in the same location, blocks from my house since 2017. It is the hobby that takes up a ton of my time, but is fully self sufficient. During this time, I never stopped doing my passion of writing and directing films. I made several low budget features and shorts, but in 2025 I am in the process of making a feature that is very very close to my heart. It has been a labor of love for nearly 5 years, but I finally landed an incredible cast, with the person I always wanted in the lead, Sean Astin playing that role. We are hoping to get it shot and finished this year.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Fighters are not often loyal or good people unfortunately. Being a coach is the best and worst gig. I love getting guys from zero to the big show, but they rarely stay, then I have to feel like a jerk when I watch them fail and I think “I told you so” and I hate being that guy. Luckily, this isn’t my main source of income. As for the film insdustry, it is all a struggle. Finding funding for movies, even with huge names attached is nearly impossible. Oddly the gym and the film stuff tend to merge and cross paths a lot and fighting creates bonds!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For nearly 30 years, I was known as the “skeptic comedian”. I infuse science and critical thinking into my comedy. Same goes with my MMA and fighting. It is always a science first then an art second to me. Now that I write more than anything, I do the same thing, how can I make sure everything I write is airtight so that I can allow the art to flow freely. I think it makes me a better writer and I think writing might be what I am best at in the end. But either way I try to apply that to everything I do, from comedy to film to coaching fighters and my goal is always to be the best at anything and everything I try my hand at, otherwise it isn’t worth doing.

How do you think about luck?
I have honestly been plagued with bad luck my entire life. It is a running joke and theme and way too much to type. I have some insanely odd stories about very bad luck. Fortunately I am insanely persistent and I know my stuff, so I keep pushing forward and I don’t allow goals and aspirations to go unrealized. I think ultimately luck is the name we give to something in retrospect. It is not an actual thing anyone can posses or not. I do think what matters is persistence, hard work, preparedness, talent and most importantly, opportunity. I know so many people who have all of those attributes and never get an opportunity. I also know people who get the opportunities, but don’t have the other attributes in place. Sometimes if you have all the others, you need to find a way to create the opportunity. This goes for artists, business people, and what I tell my fighters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fightsciencemma.com
• Instagram: @comediocre1 (personal) @fightsciencemma (gym)
• Facebook: @FightScienceLA
• Youtube: /ianharriscomedian (personal) /@fightscienceMMALosAngeles (gym)