The anticipated showdown between Jack Della Maddalena and Josiah Harrell at UFC 290 has been called off, leaving fans disappointed.
Following the official weigh-ins for UFC 290, it was revealed that Josiah Harrell had encountered a serious medical issue, forcing the cancellation of his welterweight bout against Maddalena. MMA Hook received confirmation from sources close to the situation regarding Harrell’s condition.
Harrell’s manager, Maurice Blanco, disclosed that a pre-fight MRI showed signs of moyamoya, an uncommon neurological disorder that poses a significant stroke risk if left untreated. This condition resembles that of former UFC fighter Vince Murdock, who also had his short-notice UFC debut scrapped due to an unexpected moyamoya diagnosis. However, like Murdock, Harrell’s condition is currently not believed to be career-ending, and he is scheduled to undergo a procedure to address the issue in the near future.
Harrell, a newcomer to the UFC, stepped in on less than a week’s notice to face Maddalena after Sean Brady, Maddalena’s original opponent, withdrew from the contest due to a severe case of Streptococcus B in his left elbow. Despite several UFC veterans vying for the opportunity to fight Maddalena on short notice, including Kevin Holland and Chris Curtis, Harrell was ultimately selected following his impressive victory over Mike Roberts at LFA 160 in June, which garnered significant attention.
Maddalena, with a record of 14-2, is widely recognized as one of the most promising talents in the welterweight division. The Australian fighter has an unblemished UFC record of 4-0, all wins coming by first-round stoppages, with his last three performances earning him post-fight bonuses. In his most recent bout this past February, he defeated Randy Brown in under three minutes.
In an interview with MMA Hook on Wednesday, Maddalena expressed his desire to reschedule the fight with Brady for UFC 293, set to take place on September 10 in Sydney, following his scheduled bout against Harrell.
UFC 290 is still scheduled to proceed on Saturday, July 8, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, albeit with a revised fight card featuring 13 bouts.
Contributions to this report were made by Mike Heck and Damon Martin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about UFC 290, brain disease, moyamoya, cancellation
What led to the cancellation of the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Josiah Harrell bout at UFC 290?
The bout was canceled due to a serious medical issue on Josiah Harrell’s side. Harrell’s pre-fight MRI revealed a rare neurological condition called moyamoya, which poses a high risk for stroke if left untreated.
Has this condition affected other UFC fighters in the past?
Yes, similar to Josiah Harrell, former UFC fighter Vince Murdock also had his short-notice UFC debut canceled due to a surprise diagnosis of moyamoya. However, it is important to note that neither Harrell’s nor Murdock’s conditions are currently considered career-ending.
Who will be Jack Della Maddalena’s new opponent?
As of now, there is no information regarding a new opponent for Jack Della Maddalena. He expressed his intention to reschedule his fight with Sean Brady for UFC 293 after his planned bout against Josiah Harrell.
What is the next step for Josiah Harrell?
Josiah Harrell is expected to undergo a procedure to address his moyamoya condition soon. The procedure aims to mitigate the risk of stroke associated with this neurological disorder.
When and where will UFC 290 take place?
UFC 290 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 8, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
How many fights will be on the UFC 290 card?
The revised UFC 290 card will proceed with 13 bouts despite the cancellation of the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Josiah Harrell bout.
More about UFC 290, brain disease, moyamoya, cancellation
- MMA Hook (source): [MMA Hook article](insert URL here)
- Vince Murdock’s UFC debut cancellation: [Vince Murdock’s UFC debut cancellation article](insert URL here)
- UFC 293: [UFC 293 event details](insert URL here)
- T-Mobile Arena: [T-Mobile Arena official website](insert URL here)
3 comments
ufc 290 just lost a big fight. harrell’s got this rare brain thing n they had to cancel. hope he’s ok. now we gotta wait for maddalena to fight again. he’s been killing it lately. gotta give him credit. can’t wait for the next ufc event!
man, this is some serious bad luck for harrell. he found out about that brain condition moyamoya n now he can’t fight. hope he gets well n recovers fast. maddalena was on a roll tho, hope he gets a new fight soon, he’s a beast!
damnnnn, i didn’t know moyamoya was a thing. it’s messed up that it happened to harrell. but i heard he’ll be back after a procedure. maddalena better find someone new to step in or wait for that rematch with brady. gonna be a long wait tho!