Sean Brady is riding high after his recent victory.
Following a significant win at UFC London where he submitted former welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the fourth round of the main event, Brady is feeling confident. This victory, the first time Edwards has been stopped, propelled Brady to the top of the UFC welterweight rankings, bringing him closer to a title shot. This newfound status has changed how other fighters perceive him.
On his podcast, BradyBagz, Brady discussed the shift in his career since becoming the No. 1 contender. He noted that fighters who previously ignored his calls for a fight are now showing interest.
“I was trying to get a fight with Kamaru Usman for months,” Brady stated. “I messaged him, contacted him, and now, suddenly, he`s suggesting a fight between us for the No. 1 contender spot. Really? I just defeated the guy who beat you twice!”
Usman isn`t the only one now interested in Brady. He also directed criticism towards Colby Covington, a former interim champion who wasn`t interested in fighting Brady before his win against Edwards.
“It’s the same situation with Covington,” Brady added. “I`ve been requesting that fight for a long time, but the UFC essentially dismissed me. Ironically, I saw a clip where he said, ‘Sean Brady is terrible. I’ve never watched his fights. And so on. I saw him get beat up by Belal.’ But wait, you just admitted you`ve never watched my fights, yet you saw me get beat up by Belal? What are you even talking about?”
Brady continued, “He claims to be a high-level wrestler, but Leon took him down multiple times and dominated him. Did you see what I just did to Leon? Imagine what I would do to you? I would destroy him. He`s not even fighting anyone in the top 15 anymore. He might not even be employed by the UFC. When did he last win a fight? He’s simply not good….”
“Colby, you’re weak. You got punched by Jorge Masvidal in public and then sued him? You`re a professional fighter. You`re weak.”
Despite being the top contender, Brady`s path to a title shot isn`t straightforward. Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was scheduled to defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December, but an injury forced Muhammad to withdraw. Rakhmonov remained on the card, defeating Ian Machado Garry, but also sustained an injury, causing further delays.
Muhammad is now set to defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena on May 10 at UFC 315. The next challenger for the title remains uncertain. Brady insists that if he doesn`t get the title shot, his next fight must be a No. 1 contender match.
“Either I’m fighting for the belt next, against the winner or even the loser, or it has to be me versus Shavkat for the No. 1 contender spot,” Brady explained. “I don’t have a strong preference. However, Belal and I have a compelling storyline, making that the ideal scenario: he defeats Jack in May, and we fight for the title later in the year. … Alternatively, I’d fight Shavkat in the summer, and the winner of our fight could then face Belal by the end of the year.”
“My focus is solely on fighting Shavkat or for the title. There are no other options. I`m No. 1, and Shavkat is No. 2. A fight with Usman could be appealing if the UFC pushes for it, given his former champion status, which would enhance my record. But aside from those, nothing else interests me.”
