Josiah Harrell will not make his UFC debut fight against Jack Della Maddalena in Las Vegas because of a rare brain disease.
Harrell was expected to clash with UFC’s top prospect at UFC 290 after making weight on Friday morning. However, the plans changed when his prefight MRI revealed that he carried a prior illness called moyamoya.
The Mayo Clinic described the disease as a “rare blood vessel disorder in which the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed.” Maurice Blanco, Harrell’s manager, said his client will undergo surgery and that the MRI was a “blessing in disguise”, according to ESPN.
