WASHINGTON – Sean Brady is eyeing a former UFC welterweight champion next.
After scoring a dominant finish of former champion Leon Edwards in March 2025, Brady (19-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) risked his title contention spot by taking on undefeated Michael Morales at UFC 322 – a risk which didn’t pay off.
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However, The 33-year-old was able to rebound by scoring a lopsided decision over Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328 in May.
“I personally want somebody in the top five,” Brady told MMA Junkie. “I think I deserve that. I was the No. 1 contender after I beat Leon. I was waiting around because the division was jammed up. I took Morales. I lost that fight, but then I came back, took a dangerous fight against Buckley, beat Buckley. I think I deserve a guy in the top five. I know (Kamaru) Usman is going to 185, supposedly so that’s kind of what I’m looking for: somebody in the top five – Jack (Della Maddalena), (Gabriel) Bonfim, (Carlos) Prates.”
With UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev defending his title against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 headliner on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia, Brady suggested that Carlos Prates fight Morales, leaving him with Jack Della Maddalena (18-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC).
“He’s on a little bit of a skid right now, but he’s still a former champion, so I think that fight would definitely make sense,” Brady said of Della Maddalena. “And then Bonfim just beat Belal (Muhammad) now, but he’s probably going to want to fight up now, too, which is the name of the game. But I just fought back (in the rankings) twice, so I think the right thing to do is to give me someone in the top five.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Brady: Ex-UFC champ Jack Della Maddalena ‘definitely makes sense’
