“I am pushing for a fight next week” - Jack Della Maddalena puts the welterweight division on notice after UFC 290 fight cancellation
Jack Della Maddalena's bout with Josiah Harrell at UFC 290 stands canceled. The welterweight prospect now puts the division on notice while expressing his wish to perform in the octagon
"Jack Della Maddalena is pushing for a fight next week at #UFCVegas77 now he is in Vegas. Any takers?"
Jack Della Maddalena is pushing for a fight next week at #UFCVegas77 now he is in Vegas. Any takers? 🤷♂️🤔 https://t.co/CbrtpRcd9q
Jack Della Maddalena was originally scheduled to face Sean Brady, the biggest name opponent in Maddalena's career thus far. Brady had to pull out of the bout owing to an infection that had affected his elbow causing swelling and severe pain. Josiah Harrell had stepped up and was supposed to fight Maddalena. However, his diagnosis of a rare brain condition compelled him to withdraw as well leaving the Australian fighter without an opponent.
Maddalena in an Instagram post wished well to Harrell while looking for an opponent in the near future:
"Very glad this fight with Josiah did not go forward, I hope his medical issues are cleared up. I came to Vegas to fight so I am pushing for a fight next week, I want to perform for my people."
Jack Della Maddalena had chosen Josiah Harrell over Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley
Jack Della Maddalena, after his original opponent Sean Brady opted out of the bout at UFC 290, got public call-outs from UFC veterans like Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley. Maddalena was then booked to fight the UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell. The Australian welterweight, while speaking on MMA Fighting's YouTube channel with Ariel Helwani, opened up on choosing Harrell as his opponent:
"I’ve come this far so I was ready to go, and yeah, those names sounded cool. There was also Chris Curtis that was there, and it was never actually offered to me. I just saw the names saying that they would step up, so it sounded good to me, and I thought possibly it might be at a heavier weight so I started eating a little bit more, but none of them actually came to fruition.”
Maddalena after Harrell's withdrawal from UFC 290 due to medical reasons was left without an opponent. This ultimately shattered his chances to compete at UFC 290. He is now eyeing an opponent to jump into the octagon and compete as soon as possible.