Welterweight prospect Jack Della Maddalena just can’t catch a break this week.
After originally scheduled UFC 290 opponent Sean Brady — the biggest name of JDM’s career — was forced out of their International Fight Week pairing, Maddalena was kept on the card thanks to Josiah Harrell stepping up.
However, following Friday’s UFC 290 official weigh-ins, promotion officials announced that Harrell, too, had been forced off the card.
“Due to a medical Issue with Josiah Harrell, his welterweight bout against Jack Della Maddalena has been canceled from tomorrow’s event,” a brief statement on the UFC’s official website read.
And so, once again, Jack Della Maddalena is without an opponent, just a day out from the event — with a replacement unlikely to be found.
Harrell did weigh in successfully on Friday, hitting the scales at 170.5 pounds, a half pound less that Maddalena himself. Both fighters weighed in early in the two hour window afforded to athletes. The undefeated Ohio native know as the “Muscle Hamster” was to have made his promotional debut in the fight.
JDM, meanwhile, is undefeated in his octagon run thus far.
UFC 290 takes place Saturday, July 8, 2023 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with two title fights topping the marquee. Those include a title unification bout at 145lbs between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez, and a trilogy fight between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja — this time with gold on the line.
The card now moves forward with the following match-ups:
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Yair Rodríguez (ic) — for the UFC featherweight championship / title unification bout
- Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja — for the UFC flyweight championship
- Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis
- Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker
- Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn
- Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Tatsuro Taira vs. Edgar Cháirez
- Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio
- Cameron Saaiman vs. Terrence Mitchell
- Shannon Ross vs. Jesús Santos Aguilar
- Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
Update, 6:20PM ET: Per multiple reports, Josiah Harrell’s pre-fight MRI detected a brain abnormality diagnosed as moyamoya syndrome, the same condition Vince Murdock was diagnosed with in a similar incident a few years back. Harrell will be undergoing brain surgery soon.
Per his manager Maurice Blanco: Josiah Harrell’s #UFC290 pre-fight brain MRI may have saved his life. He was diagnosed with moyamoya syndrome, a rare disease that results in blocked arteries at the base of the brain. He will undergo a brain procedure soon. https://t.co/vYfG17SJmL
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) July 7, 2023
