Jack Della Maddalena has another fight booked this weekend after two cancelations: REPORT

UFC welterweight prospect Jack Della Maddalena went through a string of bad luck with two fight cancellations that kept him away from competing at the UFC 290 fight card. However, the Australian may finally have a fight on his hands, as early as this weekend at UFC Vegas 77, according to reports

Originally slated to compete at UFC 290 against No.8-ranked welterweight contender Sean Brady, Maddalena was left without an opponent when Brady was forced to pull out due to septic bursitis. The UFC managed to secure a last-minute replacement in debutant Josiah Harrell, but Maddallena's misfortune didn't end there.

Unfortunately for Jack Della Maddalena, news emerged that the preliminary bout between him and Harrell was canceled due to a rare brain disease Harrell was diagnosed with.

Undeterred by recent setbacks, the 26-year-old was determined to secure a bout before leaving Las Vegas. He took to Instagram to float the idea of competing at UFC Vegas 77 this weekend, writing:

"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's pursuit of a fight has finally come to fruition, according to a report by Ariel Helwani. The Australian will fight UFC debutant Bassil Hafez (8-3-1) this weekend:

"Jack Della Maddalena has a fight this weekend. He is fighting UFC debutant Bassil Hafez at 170 pounds on the July 15 Apex card, per sources."

Bassil Hafez is currently the 45th-ranked welterweight in the United States pro welterweights category out of 1108 active competitors.

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Why didn't Jack Della Maddalena fight Kevin Holland at UFC 290?

Following the announcement of Jack Della Maddalena's fight being canceled at UFC 290, several prominent contenders like Chris Curtis and Kevin Holland offered to step in as a last-minute replacement.

However, Maddalena confirmed that while he would have fancied the opportunity to face Holland, the UFC only officially offered him the Josiah Harrell fight as a replacement. Speaking in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Maddalena stated:

“I was excited for that fight. I think that would have been a cool fight, and yeah, it would have been at a heavier weight, so it would’ve made the cut easier. But yeah, I was excited for that, but it was honestly never an option. There was talk on, yeah, I saw on his Instagram, but it was never actually an option. I did ask [my manager] Tim [Simpson], ‘Is the Holland fight on?’ — and yeah, I don’t know, I think he had a fight booked so they weren’t into it. But I thought that was a realistic option, but it was just never actually passed on to me."

While he was disappointed that the fight never came to fruition, the Australian remains hopeful that he can face the likes of Kevin Holland and other exciting contenders in the future.

Catch Maddalena's comments below (3:00):