A fighter has been given a second shot within the UFC three years on from his first opportunity.
Sean Strickland believes he’s the person to dethrone Khamzat Chimaev and he’ll look to place himself back within the title picture one week from today.
The previous UFC middleweight champion returns to face Anthony Hernandez within the fundamental event of UFC Houston on the Toyota Center.
February 21 could’ve been down a fight on account of a fighter who has been in comparison with Khabib Nurmagomedov up to now losing his opponent.
As a substitute, this opened up a spot for a fighter whose Octagon debut was shockingly taken away from him in 2023.
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Josiah Harrell will debut at UFC Houston after having his 2023 debut cancelled
Last month, Josiah Harrell nearly pulled off Demetrious Johnson’s iconic submission before extending his undefeated record to 11-0.
This was his fourth consecutive win since wild circumstances ruled out what should’ve been an enormous opportunity for him.
In 2023, Harrell was called upon to make his UFC debut on short notice by replacing Sean Brady to tackle Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290 in Las Vegas.
The American’s first fight contained in the Octagon was faraway from the cardboard when his medical scans during fight week showed that he had a rare brain disease.
Harrell underwent brain surgery to forestall serious concerns like clotting or strokes before with the ability to resume his profession in March of last 12 months.
Three wins in 2025, including handing Melvin Guillard his tenth consecutive loss, have now given the 27-year-old one other shot within the UFC following a really remarkable profession.
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Josiah Harrell faces an enormous task when taking up Jacobe Smith
Josiah Harrell’s UFC debut in 2023 could have seen him face a man that might go on to grow to be a champion on short notice but his next task isn’t any walk within the park either.
Following his contract win in 2024, Jacobe Smith has proven himself to be a serious threat within the welterweight division with back-to-back wins and finishes contained in the Octagon.
Smith was originally scheduled to face Seok Hyeon Ko on February 21 before his opponent withdrew on account of a rib injury.
It could be a fairy tale story that Harrell has made it back to the UFC after all the pieces he’s been through but that doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.