What is Moyamoya syndrome? Rare disease causes Josiah Harrell to pull out of Jack Della Maddalena fight

Josiah Harrell's bout against UFC top prospect Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290 is now canceled. Harrel has been diagnosed with a rare brain disease, forcing him to withdraw from the event. MMA Junkie reporter, Nolan King (while updating this news on Twitter) posted:

"Per his manager Maurice Blanco: Josiah Harrell’s #UFC290 pre-fight brain MRI may have saved his life. He was diagnosed with moyamoya syndrome, a rare disease that results in blocked arteries at the base of the brain. He will undergo a brain procedure soon."

According to Harrell's manager Maurice Blanco, the fighter's pre-fight MRI revealed a case of moyamoya. It's a rare neurological condition that if left untreated puts the patient at high risk of a stroke. Harrell's condition is not said to be career-ending. He is expected to undergo a procedure soon to treat the problem.

The surprise detection of this disease ended Jack Della Maddelana's short-notice welterweight bout against Josiah Harrell at UFC 290. Josiah Harrell made weight successfully and was preparing for the bout before the MRI results came back. Harrell's entire team is positive and hopeful of seeing him back in action once he recovers according to his manager Blanco.

---

Vince Murdock had a similar health concern as Josiah Harrell

Vince Murdock was diagnosed with moyamoya in 2019 which forced him out of the octagon. Murdock was diagnosed with the disease after his examination at Stanford University. The MMA fighter was warned that if he ignored the condition, he would remain at a very high risk of a stroke.

Both Murdock and Harrell also share another similarity in their diagnoses. Usually, moyamoya is diagnosed after a stroke. Both of these fighters came to know about it prior to such a catastrophe.

Vince Murdock recovered from the ailment after undergoing hours-long brain bypass surgery and then also returned to compete in The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White's Contender Series.

MMA reporter Nolan King highlights the similarity of the diagnosis between the two UFC fighters by posting a tweet:

"While moyamoya is rare, Harrell isn’t the first UFC signee to have it detected in pre-fight testing. Vince Murdock was diagnosed with it ahead of a scheduled UFC bout in 2019."