Josiah Harrell won’t fight Saturday night at UFC 290 in Las Vegas after a pre-fight MRI showed a brain abnormality.
He was diagnosed with Moyamoya disease, which the National Institutes of Health defines as a “rare, progressive cerebrovascular disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain.”
Harrell (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was set to make his UFC debut in a welterweight bout against Jack Della Maddalena (14-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC).
His manager, Maurice Blanco of First Round Management, told MMA Junkie that the MRI “may have saved his life, adding Harrell will need surgery to address the issue. Blanco said Harrell, 24, was unaware he had the condition and the brain MRI was his first.
The UFC and Nevada Athletic Commission require the test.
Bantamweight Vince Murdock also was diagnosed with Moyamoya in advance of a fight in 2019 and returned to competition the following year.
Harrell was a last-minute replacement on the card. He was booked less than a week ago after Maddalena’s scheduled opponent, Sean Brady, pulled out due to Streptococcus B in his left elbow.
–Field Level Media