Sean Brady plans to stick with Din Thomas despite the wave of criticism that has come his way.
Brady (19-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), a contender in the UFC’s welterweight division, confirmed he’ll continue working with the veteran MMA coach, and hopes that extends into corner work – should Thomas want to partake. This confirmation comes after many fans and notable figures criticized Thomas for his comments following Gillian Robertson’s title loss at UFC 330.
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“One hundred percent,” Brady said when asked if he’ll continue with Thomas on The Ariel Helwani Show. “This will be my second time seeing him since this happened. He cares about us. … He’s never asked me for anything. I know the kind of man he is, and that’s why I’m sticking with him. If I thought Din was a piece of sh*t, I would not be sticking with him.”
A couple of weeks ago, Thomas revealed he was “retiring from cornering fighters” following Robertson’s lopsided loss to champion Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event of UFC 330. Din said that Robertson had gone as far as she could go in her MMA career, citing that as his sign to step away from cornering.
Thomas, who was accused of taking the spotlight and throwing his fighter under the bus rather than supporting her, apologized on the Paramount+ show “Deep Waters,” but later on that same show said he would corner Brady in his upcoming fight against Gabriel Bonfim on Nov. 7 – which contradicted his retirement. Robertson also said her piece, rejecting Thomas’ apology due to comments Thomas made to Robertson and her team behind the scenes, alleging the apology was only for television ratings. These things made the criticism towards Thomas even worse.
Although Brady doesn’t agree with how Thomas handled things, he wasn’t turned off by the situation, nor did it affect his feelings and appreciation towards Thomas.
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“I do not agree with what Din said and how he said it,” Brady said. “I think maybe that shouldn’t have been said. I think Din regrets what he said and how he said it. I think that shouldn’t have been said. I think he regrets what he said and how he said it. That’s definitely something I would’ve liked to have been said to me in private. It’s also really hard to ask these guys who are on an emotional roller coaster. You just lost a fight, and it’s not you fighting, but it feels like it. When I’m cornering guys and they lose, it crushes you.
“For him to go out there and put the hat back on, maybe he was frustrated with what Gillian was doing in the fight, and then he said what he said, and then the world piles on him. I don’t think it was fair the way everyone stacked on him for what he said. Yeah, he shouldn’t have said it, he said he’s sorry. I love Din. He’s flown to Philly multiple times and has never asked me for anything. He’s done a lot of good things for me and my team. As far as right now, I’m not sure if he’s going to corner me, but we’re still working together.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC contender will ‘100 percent’ still work with Din Thomas despite controversy
