Despite earning his stripes this weekend with a dominant victory over Leon Edwards, Sean Brady’s title shot dreams look far from being realized. For four relentless rounds, Brady had his way with the British fighter, taking him down with ease and keeping him there. It was practically a wrestling clinic, proving Belal Muhammad’s pre-fight prediction to be eerily accurate.
Brady’s stunning performance all but guarantees he’ll climb to the #1 contender spot in the welterweight division. With Shavkat Rakhmonov still out with an injury and prospects like Ian Garry just not there yet, Brady taking on a somewhat stylistically similar Belal would be the ideal scenario.
But not everyone thinks he’s earned another shot at the champ, Belal Muhammad, just yet.
While Belal took an ungodly amount of pleasure in live tweeting as his nemesis Edwards tapped out to a guillotine in the fourth round, Abdelaziz sprung into action right after the final bell rang.
“Kamaru Usman vs Sean Brady. Very high-level fight,” he tweeted, making it clear that he sees Usman as a necessary obstacle in Brady’s path to UFC gold.
Kamaru Usman vs sean Brady
Very high-level Fight— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 22, 2025
The suggestion, while clearly shielding Belal does have a note of logic to it. After all, Brady and Belal already fought back in 2022 at UFC 280 where the champion won via an uncharacteristic TKO. That loss is still fresh in the minds of fans and, clearly, the man in charge of Belal’s career.
However, as is the case with most of Abdelaziz’s suggestions, the fans do not agree with him one bit. Brady has been on a tear since that Belal loss, submitting Kelvin Gastelum, beating Gilbert Burns, and now Edwards. And nobody wants to see him fight a rusty Usman with bad knees returning to the octagon after two years while being on a 3-fight skid.
UFC fans pick out opponents for Brady
Fans believe Brady’s win over a fresher, faster Edwards proves he deserves better competition if he’s not getting an immediate title shot. Not to mention, Brady did something even Muhammad couldn’t do—he submitted Edwards.
If anything, Brady should be taking on other top-ranked welterweights like Joaquin Buckley and Ian Garry.
“Kamaru is 0-3 and stayed inactive. Buckley is next for Marty,” one fan pointed out, highlighting the former champion’s declining record and inactivity. Another added, “Usman should be retiring. Brady gets Belal next.”
Usman should be retiring
Brady gets Belal next
— Nosebleed Media (@NoseBleedMedia) March 22, 2025
Others were even more direct: “Bro, Usman should be retired… he hasn’t fought in over 2 years???” Another frustrated fan reiterated the sentient but was willing to give Usman a chance. “No thanks. Usman has to fight someone between 10-15 first. He’s done nothing the last three years”, he said.
No thanks. Usman has to fight someone between 10-15 first. He’s done nothing the last three years.
— Straight Talk (@theupsidelook) March 23, 2025
One user summarized the frustration perfectly: “He just beat rank #1. Get Usman to get a win. He’s a full-time podcaster. It’s been two years since he stepped in the cage, four years since he’s seen a W.”
The consensus is obvious. Fans want to see Brady face tougher, more relevant competition. Whether it’s a rematch with Muhammad, a showdown with Rakhmonov, or something else entirely, the UFC will have to consider this backlash when planning the next steps for the surging welterweight contender.
