Bassil Hafez, former Fury Fighting Championships welterweight champion, has expressed his gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to replace Josiah Harrell, who was diagnosed with a rare brain disease, and fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290, even though he was the second choice.
Bassil Hafez was not expecting the turn of events at UFC Vegas 77 but he was ready to seize the opportunity. He was the former Fury Fighting Championships welterweight champion and a 12-fight veteran preparing to challenge Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290. However, Josiah Harrell was initially called instead. This challenge didn’t deter Hafez since a diagnosis of a rare brain disease sent Harrell off the card. With Della Maddalena still in Las Vegas hoping for a new opponent, Hafez was called in.
Hafez had initially expressed his readiness and willingness to fight Della Maddalena to his manager. Despite knowing he wasn’t the first choice, he was grateful for the opportunity. “I’m his second choice, but I’m just grateful he picked me. I’m a fan of Jack’s striking style, and I’m excited to go in there test myself against that,” he stated. The call was an emotional moment for him. “I got a call from my manager, and he said you’re in. It was a crazy feeling. First time in my life I cried out of happiness,” he said.
Preparing for such a situation, he undertook sacrifices in the gym and with his diet to maintain his natural weight class, welterweight. Any time a 170-pound fight needed a replacement, he was quick to volunteer via his manager, confident that his persistence would pay off. “I said yes, literally every single welterweight [that pulled] out [on short notice],” Hafez said. “I said yes to every single one of them. I never said no. I said yes to Jack as well, and I got this one.”
Hafez also trains alongside fighters like Justin Gaethje and Kamaru Usman, gaining benefits from this veteran mentorship. He feels significantly transformed from the fighter he used to be, with the regular sparring sessions compelling him to enhance his performance. He considered Della Maddalena a worthy opponent but remained confident. Expressing this, Hafez said, “At the end of the day, he’s a man across from me and I’m a man across from him. I know what I can handle and my durability and my grit, and I know I have what it takes to push this guy to the limit. In my opinion, I really feel I have what it takes to beat Jack, compete with Jack and make it a war.”