Sean Brady has his sights set on Leon Edwards for his next fight, and he’s not afraid to head into enemy territory to make it happen. Fresh off a big win over Gilbert Burns in September, the No. 5-ranked welterweight is looking to climb even higher.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani, Brady explained why Edwards, the former champion, is the perfect next opponent. “It just makes sense”, he said, emphasizing his desire to test himself against one of the division’s best, even if it means fighting the former champion on his home turf.
The 32-year-old secured arguably the biggest win of his career defeating Burns over five rounds at UFC 242. He is now on a two-fight win streak with the other win being over Kelvin Gastelum.
Emphasizing the rankings and the way things are playing out, Brady believes he needs to go somewhere and prove himself in an ‘away game’, so to speak. He also has a good reason for wanting that to happen.
“Because my first loss did come while I was travelling. I am a completely different fighter now. I want to prove to myself that I can go into someone’s backyard and win a fight.”
Brady has a 7-1 record in the UFC with his only loss having come via a KO/TKO against welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFc 280 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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The former champion is currently without a fight as the UFC plans a return to the United Kingdom early next year. On paper, it sounds like a brilliant fight for both the men involved.
How Brady vs Edwards pans out
Brady had a great start to his career in the UFC but got found taken out by the Belal. Now, Belal is a formidable fighter and his world title speaks to that. However, in his UFC career of 24 wins, the welterweight champion has had only 5 finishes. So, to get knocked out by him is not a great look.
Regardless, Brady has managed to bounce back from that and has since begun the climb to the top again, which is why the Edwards fight seems so appealing to him right now. However, if Leon doesn’t want to fight Brady, he will have every right to do so. Being a former champion, who has knocked out Kamaru Usman twice can come with certain privileges.
But if the Edwards fight doesn’t happen, Brady has other names in mind. He’s open to facing Jack Della Maddalena in April, revisiting a matchup that’s been delayed due to injuries, or taking on Joaquin Buckley, who’s had an incredible 2024.
Brady also acknowledged Ian Machado Garry’s strong performance against Shavkat Rakhmonov, hinting at a potential showdown with the Irishman down the line. Brady’s options are stacked, and he’s ready for whoever’s next.
