LAS VEGAS, NV — Josiah Harrell’s exit from this week’s UFC 290 card has been addressed by UFC President Dana White after the Power Slap event Friday night in Las Vegas.
Harrell was pulled from a brief fight with Jack Della Maddalena afterward A pre-fight MRI revealed abnormalities in his brain. Harrell has now been diagnosed with Moy Moya Syndrome, a result of blockages in the arteries at the base of the brain. Coincidentally, this is the same condition that forced Vince Murdock to put his fighting career on hold a few years ago.
Somewhat shockingly, Harrell also revealed that he had never taken a brain scan from seven professional fights. However, White wasn’t completely surprised.
“So if you had spent the 23 years in which we were doing this, and you saw how many people we found with problems you probably weren’t meant to fight – even kids we found that wanted to get into The ultimate fighter. Yes, that’s it. It’s crazy that this could happen out there,” White said, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press at the UFC Apex.
“These other organizations are organized. This is madness. We spend millions and millions of dollars on health and safety. It’s the most important thing we focus on and care about, in terms of fighting battles.”
White also knows that when it comes to regional promotions, that kind of money is a hurdle.
“They can’t afford it. They can’t afford it. White believes it would be impossible for lower-level promoters to do the level of testing required to ensure everyone’s safety — not only in MMA but also in Slapfighting,” White believed. The bad things in sports in the last 23 years, even in the smaller shows. At the end of the day, if you’re into a combat sport, and I consider soccer a combat sport as well, there’s a risk. Every time you go out and compete, there is a risk. What we’re trying to do is reduce the risk as much as possible.”
This, White added, is part of the reason why the promotion is building the UFC Performance Institute. “We’ve been bringing these athletes out there for weeks, sometimes months, evaluating them, making sure they’re good, making sure they’re training properly, healthy, safe, the list goes on and on.”