Jack Della Maddalena loses second opponent within week; UFC 290 fight canceled

In the end, it wasn’t meant for Jack Della Maddalena to fight at UFC 290 after newcomer Josiah Harrell withdrew Friday.

In the end, it wasn’t meant for [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] to fight at UFC 290.

For the second time this week, Della Maddalena has lost an opponent and ultimately the opportunity to compete after [autotag]Josiah Harrell[/autotag] withdrew from their preliminary card bout Friday. The UFC announced on social media that Harrell, who accepted the fight on six days’ notice, was forced to withdraw because of a “medical issue.”

Harrell’s manager, Maurice Blanco of First Round Management, told MMA Junkie’s Nolan King that Harrell has been diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare blood vessel disorder in the skull, which showed up during a pre-fight medical exam. Blanco called the revelation a “blessing in disguise.”

Earlier Friday morning, Harrell (7-0) made the 171-pound welterweight limit for the fight. He would’ve made his UFC debut Saturday.

Harrell’s withdrawal is an unfortunate turn of events for Australian standout Della Maddalena (14-2 MMA, 4-0 FC) after his original opponent, Sean Brady, pulled out this past weekend. Della Maddalena has been on a roll since he entered the UFC in September 2021 through Dana White’s Contender Series. All four of his promotional victories have been finishes, with his most recent a first-round rear-naked-choke submission of Randy Brown this past February at UFC 284.

With the cancellation, the updated UFC 290 lineup is below:

  • Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. interim champ Yair Rodriguez – featherweight title unification fight
  • Champ Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja – for flyweight title
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner
  • Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn
  • Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price
  • Denise Gomes vs. Yazmin Jauregui
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Edgar Chairez vs. Tatsuro Taira – 130-pound contract weight
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio
  • Terrence Mitchell vs. Cameron Saaiman
  • Jesus Aguilar vs. Shannon Ross
  • Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.