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Jack Della Maddalena’s trip to Las Vegas paid off with a fight after all.
The 26-year-old Australian is set to face promotional newcomer Bassil Hafez in a short-notice welterweight bout this Saturday at UFC Vegas 77.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani first reported the booking.
The matchup is vindication for Maddalena, who opted to stay in Las Vegas in hopes of booking a fight after a pair of scheduled bouts fell through for UFC 290. Maddalena’s original opponent Sean Brady withdrew less than two weeks out from the event due to a nasty bout of Streptococcus B in his elbow. UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell then stepped into the matchup as a late replacement, however he too was forced to withdraw a day before UFC 290 when a pre-fight MRI revealed that Harrell suffered from the rare neurological condition moyamoya, which, if left untreated, puts patients at high risk for a stroke.
Harrell’s exit left Maddalena without an opponent for this past Saturday’s card, however the Australian sensation now gets a chance to fight one week later at UFC Vegas 77.
Maddalena (14-2) is generally regarded as one of the top rising talents at 170 pounds. He is a perfect 4-0 with four first-round stoppages over his octagon run, the last three of which earned him post-fight bonuses. Maddalena defeated Randy Brown in less than three minutes in his most recent outing this past February.
Hafez (8-3-1) is a 31-year-old American welterweight who makes his UFC debut off consecutive wins over Anthony Ivy and Evan Cutts under the Fury FC banner, both of which occurred this past February.
UFC Vegas 77 takes place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. A women’s bantamweight between former UFC champion Holly Holm and Mayra Bueno Silva headlines the event.
Damon Martin contributed to this report.
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