LONDON – At UFC Fight Night 255, Sean Brady not only followed Belal Muhammad`s strategy but improved upon it.
Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) achieved a dominant victory over former welterweight champion Leon Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC). He controlled Edwards on the ground and secured a guillotine choke submission in the fourth round of their main event fight in London.
While Muhammad previously defeated Edwards to win the championship at UFC 304 by utilizing grappling, he was unable to finish the fight. Brady believes that being the first fighter to stop Edwards should be recognized.
“That’s the formula to beat Leon. The approach has been evident in many of his fights, and I executed it much more effectively than anyone else has,” Brady stated in the post-fight press conference.
“Even when Leon attempted a takedown on me – he is a very skilled fighter, but when the fight becomes truly challenging, he tends to falter. I sensed him breaking, especially when he shot for a takedown because grappling with me is the last thing he wanted. Once I realized he was resorting to grappling, I knew the fight would end soon.”
Following the fight, Muhammad posted on social media suggesting Brady copied his tactics. Brady responded by reminding Muhammad of his own superior achievement against Edwards.
“I believe my performance was significantly better than Belal’s,” Brady commented. “I think Belal lost a couple of rounds in his fight. He was on his back for an entire round. Was it a 3-2 decision when they fought? I dominated Leon in every round. No one has ever done what I did. Then I submitted him, making him quit in front of his hometown crowd. If we were in my hometown of Philly, there’s no way you’re making me quit in front of my people, I guarantee you. You’d be going to sleep, son. Just remember that.”
Brady is willing to be a backup fighter for Muhammad’s first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena on May 10 at UFC 315. Muhammad considers Shavkat Rakhmonov the most deserving contender for a title shot after their UFC 310 fight was canceled. However, Brady argues that his recent wins might make him a stronger contender.
“If you compare my recent opponents to Shavkat’s, I think my resume is quite strong – Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards in my last two fights versus his last two, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Ian Garry. I’m building a solid record,” Brady noted. “But my focus is on continuing to add significant wins to my record, and we’ll see what opportunities arise.”
