Athletes
Josiah Harrell | Unbroken
Welterweight Prospect Makes Long-Awaited UFC Debut At UFC Houston Following Brain Surgery And Relentless Pursuit Of His Dream
One day before making his UFC debut at UFC 290, Josiah Harrell’s world turned upside down.
Following a routine medical check during fight week, doctors discovered he had Moyamoya, a rare brain disease that causes the arteries supplying blood to the brain to become narrowed or blocked.
Watch Every UFC Event On Paramount+
His bout with Jack Della Maddalena — who would go on to win the UFC welterweight title less than two years later — was immediately scrapped. Instead of walking to the Octagon, Harrell underwent a grueling nine-hour surgery in which doctors grafted two additional veins to his skull and inserted a titanium plate.
For many, that might have marked the end of an undefeated 24-year-old’s career before it ever truly began. The closing chapter of a dream just as it was opening. But that’s not Josiah Harrell.
One day after the procedure, Harrell was already on his feet and even going on hikes to keep himself from sitting in a hospital room and sulking.
The Columbus, Ohio, native returned home just a week later and immediately got back into the gym, hitting pads despite his teammates urging him to slow down and give his body time to heal.
Preview The Entire UFC Houston Fight Card Here
“It’s pretty obvious I’m not normal, and not in the best ways,” Harrell said, cracking a smile. “I had to do something to get back. If I didn’t do anything, I was going to do more mental damage to myself than I would physical. I had to get back in there.”
That urgency and refusal to sit still led to two seizures, a known risk for patients recovering from Moyamoya and brain surgery. The episodes forced Harrell to reassess what “getting back” truly meant.
Harrell admitted to taking things too fast, so he agreed to take one more week off. Still not very long by most standards, but for him, far too much time away from movement. If his body could make a comeback, he believed it was up to him to make sure his mind could see that vision through.
“I knew I could get back into fighting,” Harrell said. “Everyone will have their insecurities as they’re going on and have this dream of theirs stopped, so it was just making sure that I didn’t take this away from me. I know a lot of times it’s me who ends up quitting when things get hard. And no matter what excuses I would use, I needed to make sure I didn’t do that, so I was focused on staying on the path, giving all glory to God, and continuing on my way and making sure I wasn’t the one taking this one away from me.”
How to Watch UFC On Paramount+
One of Harrell’s biggest supporters was Team Alpha Male’s Vince Murdock, a former professional mixed martial artist who underwent surgery for Moyamoya in 2019 and returned to compete five more times.
“He actually reached out first,” Harrell said of Murdock. “He’s been golden. Not only what he’s done in the past to allow me to continue this, but also just making a way. He made a way for it, and that gave me the hope that I needed to keep going and not beat myself up too much. This is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. It was nice to be able to have someone other than the Lord to lean on.”
With Murdock as proof it could be done, Harrell kept training and chasing his UFC dream. On March 1, 2025 — less than two years removed from brain surgery — he stepped back into competition on the regional scene and scored a second-round TKO, picking up right where he left off.
“Most of the nerves came back when I was getting ready for fights again,” Harrell said. “Then again, that’s what I do this for: to be excited, to make myself feel alive again.”
He fought three more times that year, going 4-0 with three finishes in his comeback run and improving to 11-0 overall.
FOLLOW @UFCNEWS: On Facebook | On Instagram | On X | On Threads
Returning for even one professional fight is a huge feat; doing so in this fashion is remarkable. Harrell doesn’t see it that way, though. For him, competing in the UFC and becoming the best fighter in the world is still at the top of his personal mountain, and these are just steps on a long road to get there.
On February 4, UFC welterweight SeokHyun Ko was forced out of his bout with Jacobe Smith at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez due to injury. Less than two weeks later, Harrell received a call that would move him a crucial step closer to that dream. When the phone rang, the UFC asked if he was in shape and willing to step in. For him, there was no hesitation.
“I knew of Jacobe,” Harrell said. “I know he’s a great wrestler. I know he’s very talented, athletic. I know he’s fast, but I have confidence problems, I guess. I really don’t see myself losing. It’s more of just doing what I’m supposed to do, focusing on me.”
Harrell concluded his fight week interview with UFC.com with two messages, starting with one for those who find themselves in similar shoes to his:
“When you’re chasing a dream, I hope you’re not the one that takes yourself away from that dream,” Harrell said. “Don’t take yourself out of it. There’s a lot of things that can happen, and there’s a lot of things that will try to push you away from something that you want to do. There will be a lot of excuses in your head. It’s just making sure you’re staying on your path and doing what you love to do.”
MAIN EVENT: Sean Strickland Is Back In The Saddle | Anthony Hernandez Is A Violent Man
As for his future competitors in the UFC welterweight division, Harrell kept it short and sweet:
“Watch out.”
Tune in to UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez this Saturday to watch Josiah Harrell make his long-awaited walk to the Octagon, live on Paramount+.
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez took place live from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on February 21, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags