Six months later, Jefferson was scheduled to face Maurice Harris. Despite having 16–9–2 record, Harris was considered a formidable fighter, with Jim Lampley describing him as "the best 16–9 fighter out there". Harris' record included wins over then-undefeated David Izon and popular gatekeeper Jimmy Thunder and a split decision loss against faded Larry Holmes. Coming into the bout, Harris was on a seven-fight winning streak, which included a wide UD win over Jeremy Williams.
