LAS VEGAS – If Josiah Harrell had gone through with competing at UFC 290, the result could’ve been deadly. While that’s a risk for every fighter who steps in the cage given the brutal nature of mixed martial arts, it would’ve been especially so for Harrell.
That’s because Harrell has Moyamoya disease, a serious blood vessel disorder in the skull that can cause clotting at the base of the brain. The only reason Harrell was diagnosed with the rare condition is because of a pre-fight MRA test administered by the UFC, which caused his promotional debut against Jack Della Maddalena to be canceled.
Harrell, 24, has been a professional fighter since March 2020 and competed for three separate organizations – Ohio Combat League, Cage Fury FC and LFA. All of his fights for OCL took place in Ohio, while his CFFC and LFA appearances took place in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, respectively. None of those organizations or state athletic commissions did a head scan on Harrell, according to his manager, Maurice Blanco of First Round Management, as the pre-UFC 290 test was the first of his career.
