Sean Brady achieved a historic victory at UFC London by becoming the first fighter to finish Leon Edwards. He secured a fourth-round submission with a guillotine choke, a win he considers even more impressive than Belal Muhammad`s decision victory over Edwards eight months prior.
Belal Muhammad, the current welterweight champion, had previously defeated Edwards by decision after a five-round fight focused on grappling. Following Brady`s win, Muhammad tweeted, jokingly suggesting Brady copied his strategy.
Brady quickly retorted to Muhammad`s comments, highlighting the difference in their performances against Edwards.
“I think I performed much better than Belal did in his fight,” Brady stated at the post-fight press conference. “Belal, in my opinion, lost a couple of rounds and was even controlled on his back for a whole round. I believe it was a 3-2 fight when they met. In contrast, I dominated Leon in every round and finished him. Nobody has done what I did. I made him submit in front of his own fans.”
Brady added, “If we were fighting in Philadelphia, you wouldn`t make me quit in front of my hometown crowd. Just remember that.”
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While acknowledging a similar grappling-focused approach to Muhammad`s, Brady emphasized his superior execution of the game plan against Edwards.
“That’s the way to beat Leon,” Brady explained. “The strategy was evident in many of his past fights, but I implemented it more effectively than anyone before. Even when he attempted takedowns, it was clear that when the fight gets tough, Leon tends to falter. I could sense him breaking.”
“I knew it was ending once he tried to grapple with me because the last thing he wanted was to be on the ground with me. As soon as I realized he wanted to grapple, I knew the fight was nearing its end.”
This submission victory marks Brady`s third consecutive win since his only career loss to Belal Muhammad via knockout in 2022.
Brady believes that loss to Muhammad has become more respectable over time, given Muhammad`s subsequent championship success.
“If you look at Belal’s record, it’s incredibly strong,” Brady commented. “He has a win over me and many other top fighters. People criticize me for losing to him, but that loss was actually beneficial for my career. I’m on a good winning streak now, and I’m the last person to finish Leon. I’m in a good position.”
“I’ve been supporting Belal since he beat me. His success makes my loss to him look better. He beat Leon and is now fighting Jack Della Maddalena, who is a very dangerous opponent. I was preparing to fight Jack before I had to withdraw, and I know how skilled he is. Jack can knock anyone out. However, you can`t underestimate Belal; he finds ways to win, and I expect him to win that fight. Ideally, I want him to be champion when we fight again, but even if he loses, I’d be willing to fight him for the number one contender spot. There are many possibilities.”
Brady’s dominant victory over Edwards has significantly boosted his position as a potential title challenger.
The main obstacle in Brady`s path to a title shot is likely Shavkat Rakhmonov, who was initially scheduled to fight Muhammad for the title last December until Muhammad withdrew due to injury. When Muhammad was ready to fight in May, Rakhmonov was also injured, leading to Jack Della Maddalena stepping in instead.
While the next title challenger after Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10th is uncertain, Brady believes his victory over Edwards was more impactful than Rakhmonov`s narrow win against Ian Machado Garry in his last fight.
“You tell me, what makes a bigger statement? Coming here and defeating Leon in his hometown? I think so,” Brady asserted. “If you compare Ian’s last performance and Shavkat’s – Shavkat wasn’t at his best. Jack’s fight before that, he was losing to Gilbert Burns before his win. I dominated Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards in my last two fights. So, I believe I’m right in the mix.”
“Ultimately, the UFC makes those decisions. But if you compare the opponents I’ve been defeating to Shavkat’s, I believe I have a strong argument. Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards are my last two opponents, while his were Stephen Thompson and Ian Garry. I’m building a solid record. I just want to continue adding wins to my resume and see what comes next.”
