Australian Jack Della Maddalena calls up welterweight Sean Brady to fight him in Sydney after the American withdrew from their UFC Las Vegas showdown with a staph infection.
- Officially, Brady retires with an elbow infection, but Aussie doesn’t believe it
- UFC boss Dana White has yet to approve the September fight
- MRI may have saved another rival’s life
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UFC Australia’s rising superstar, Perth’s Jack Della Maddalena, looks set to be in for a long wait after not one, but two world-class fighters withdrew from planned bouts against him this weekend.
The UFC Rookie of the Year, who has an impressive 14-2 MMA record and a brutal right hand, was scheduled to fight world number eight Sean Brady of the United States in Las Vegas on July 8.
But, 10 days ago Brady [15-1 MMA record] he sensationally retired claiming a staph infection in his left elbow had sidelined him.
Then his replacement, American rival Josiah Harrell, withdrew just hours after today’s official weigh-in with a rare disease that causes blocked arteries at the base of the brain.
This prompted the Australian to say at his weigh-in yesterday, ‘well, he [Brady] Now you owe me a fight.
“I came all the way here to fight him so he can fight me on September 10 in Australia now.”
Not one but two opponents in the space of a week have withdrawn from fights with rising Australian UFC star Jack Della Maddalena (pictured)
The Australian was due to fight American welterweight star Sean Brady (15-1) pictured here, but he has an infection in his left elbow, so he withdrew.
This isn’t the first time Sean Brady has pulled out of a fight. He was also scheduled to get into the cage with Michel Pereira. [28-11 MMA] in March, but had to withdraw due to injury.
He has left a frustrated Della Maddalena without a fight in Las Vegas, though he hopes UFC boss Dana White will sign off on rescheduling the fight in Australia.
Brady’s replacement, Harrell, aka Muscle Hamster, is a wrestler from Ohio undefeated in his seven professional appearances and touted as a potential rising superstar of the sport.
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It went viral last month when a monster knocked down an opponent and then through a steel cage door.
But Harrell reluctantly withdrew because a mandatory pre-fight MRI showed he has medical problems related to his brain.
“Josiah Harrell’s pre-fight brain MRI may have saved his life,” Harrell’s manager Maurice Blanco said.
“He was diagnosed with moyamoya syndrome, a rare disease that causes blocked arteries at the base of the brain. He will soon undergo a brain procedure.
Della Maddalena, who has a 14-2 record, is considered an amazingly strong puncher.
Della Maddalena in this UFC 284 fight against the Jamaican Randy Brown, he crushed his opponent into submission
Just before Harrell’s shocking diagnosis, the Australian was still upset by Brady’s withdrawal.
Talking with sports fox australia Earlier this week, the Perth native insisted Brady owed him a showdown in Sydney after saying Brady had “the bed” as the main reason for pulling out.
‘If he [Brady] he can’t fight me right now, so let’s watch UFC 293 in Sydney in September,” he said.
‘Sean Brady is a good test for me.
“It’s a great fight, it makes sense and a lot of people are interested in seeing it happen.
“Sean Brady was a young prospect last year and even though he had that tough loss (against Muhammad), it’s a big test for me.”
Brady had won an astonishing 15 fights in a row before Belal Muhammad relentlessly pursued him around the ring during their recent fight, punching him in the face at every opportunity.
“So now we can push the fight back a few weeks and go to Sydney.”
“I came here and he is the reason the fight didn’t take place.
‘So, yeah, I feel like he owes me.’
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