Jacques Della Maddalena’s trip to Las Vegas paid off after all.
The 26-year-old Australian is set to face promotional newcomer Basil Hafez in a short-notice welterweight bout this Saturday at UFC Vegas 77.
MMA fighting Ariel Helwani I first reported booking.
The bout is proof for Maddalena, who chose to stay in Las Vegas in hopes of booking a fight after a pair of scheduled matches at UFC 290 fell through. Maddalena’s original opponent Shawn Brady pulled out less than two weeks from the event due to a bad bout of B streptococcus in his elbow. Then UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell entered the bout as a late replacement, but he also had to pull out a day before UFC 290 when a pre-fight MRI revealed that Harrell suffered from a rare neurological condition moyamoya, which if left untreated, patients are susceptible risk of having a stroke.
Harrell’s exit left Maddalena without a discount on a card last Saturday, but the Aussie sensation is now getting a fighting chance one week later at UFC Vegas 77.
Maddalena (14-2) is generally considered one of the best up-and-coming talents at 170 pounds. He’s a perfect 4-0 with four first-round stops over his eight career, the last three of which have earned him post-fight bonuses. Maddalena beat Randy Brown in less than three minutes in his last match back in February.
Hafez (8-3-1) is a 31-year-old American middleweight who made his UFC debut with back-to-back wins over Anthony Ivey and Evan Cuts under the Fury FC banner, both of which happened this past February.
UFC Vegas 77 takes place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by the women’s bantamweight division between former UFC champion Holly Holm and Mayra Bueno Silva.
Damon Martin contributed to this report.