UFC London: Edwards vs. Brady Preview, Predictions, and Analysis

UFC London Preview and Predictions

The year-plus wait that British fight fans have endured in waiting for the UFC to return to English soil is over! The event overall is stacked with intriguing talent, but the welterweight main event between the former champ and a rising contender will have everyone locked in come Saturday night.

UFC London, live from the 02 Arena, is just around the corner, but with Leon Edwards and Sean Brady set for the event headline, it’s only right that we dissect this intriguing 170lb war in hopes of gauging whether or not Britain’s former champ can return to the title picture. 

It’s time!!!  

LONDON HERE WE COME 🛫@Leon_EdwardsMMA takes on Sean Brady in a welterweight clash at #UFCLondon

[ Live on @ESPNPlus 📺 ] pic.twitter.com/p10bdTsnwa

— UFC (@ufc) March 17, 2025

UFC London Information

• Date: Saturday, March. 22, 2025 – 05:00 p.m. GMT  

• Location: 02 Arena, London, England   
• Where to Watch: UFC Fight Pass & TNT Sports    
• UFC Vegas London Main Event: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady 
• UFC Vegas London Co-Main Event: Carlos Ulberg vs. Jan Blachowicz  

 Leon “Rocky” Edwards   

If you’re a British mixed martial arts fan, Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is likely the hero we longed for. Michael Bisping’s UFC middleweight title win in 2016 was the only homegrown glory we had to hold onto previously, and Rocky came along and birthed ‘head-shot-dead’ for the masses! 

A round five head-kick knockout win over Kamaru Usman saw the UK collect its second-ever UFC title, and Leon Edwards didn’t just shock the world with a successful rematch against Usman; he did it convincingly to hold onto a 12-fight unbeaten run. 

With the gold drooped around his waist and a welterweight unbeaten streak that extended to 13 fights after he fought and defeated Colby Covington, Edwards etched himself as the greatest British UFC competitor in history.

Unfortunately, the hype and buzz for UK fans came crashing down when Edwards was stifled by Belel Muhammad last time out in an underwhelming performance. However, with just under a year on the sidelines, a return home this weekend versus Sean Brady allows him to right his wrongs.    

“Pound-for-pound. Head-shot. Dead.”

– Leon Edwards. pic.twitter.com/ZIlnHuvFbn

— MMA Melotto (@MMAmelotto) August 22, 2022

Sean Brady      

Sean Brady arrives on hostile territory for the biggest fight of his professional career. Defeating the former 170lb champion could arguably boost him directly into title contention for Belal Muhammad’s strap, a fight that would also allow him to seek redemption. 

Yes, the only blemish on Brady’s record came against Belal in 2022. Most shockingly, and uncharacteristically of Belal, it was one of his lone wins by knockout, as a 29-year-old Brady didn’t look prepared for the big leagues. 

A lot has changed since Brady’s knockout loss, though. He took a year off, returned to defeat Kelvin Gastelum with a nasty round three kimura submission, and then conquered his most challenging foe to date, Gilbert Burns. 

What’s most impressive about Brady is his evolution in the striking realm. A fighter who once relied heavily on his BJJ black belt has evidently levelled up his striking offence, and with the opportunity to defeat a former champion in his own backyard this weekend, we should expect the best version we’ve seen of him to date!   

A bold prediction from Sean Brady 👀

Watch our #UFCLondon Preview Show on YouTube NOW 🎥 pic.twitter.com/FjJyZu8j0Y

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) March 17, 2025

The Tale of The Tape  

UFC London Preview and Predictions

Inside the Octagon: Skillset Analysis

Was the Belal Fight a One-Off?       

The top betting sites have positioned Edwards as a slight underdog in his UFC return, and considering the effort he put in versus Belal, this is not surprising whatsoever. If that version of himself is what we’re getting moving forward, Rocky’s time dominating the welterweight landscape could be over sooner than we imagined. 

However, a 5 A.M. start-time, GMT, for his title loss to Belal was a constant complaint from many English-born fighters at UFC 304, and the UFC’s attempt to savour their pay-per-view numbers wasn’t just an injustice to UK fans in attendance but also the fighters competing.

Could the time have really affected Edwards’ performance? There’s a possibility. Given that he had been undefeated since 2016 before the Belal fight, how much stock can we put in Brady, a fighter with significantly less experience against the division’s elite, overcoming the former champion? 

Outside of the Usman knockout, we know Edwards isn’t a knockout artist. He’s a slick kickboxer with fluid footwork, precise striking, and excellent defence as he looks to out-point the opposition across three or five rounds. In addition, he’s added an underrated grappling game to his skill set, where wrestlers and BJJ lovers often struggle, versus his robust hips and scrambling ability, apart from Belal! 

This is where Edwards vs. Brady becomes such an intriguing bout because Brady is arguably as close to Belal in terms of skills if we swap the wrestling for jiu-jitsu.  

Sean Brady dominated Kelvin Gastelum
What impressed me the most was how mobile he was

Brady kept taking his hooks out so he could stand over Gastelum, push and pull on his shoulders, and then throw him to the mat

Just an incredible showing pic.twitter.com/gJzSUjuRqM

— William – Open Note Grappling 📝 (@OpenNoteGrapple) September 2, 2024

Will Brady Emulate Belal?      

Brady is arguably just as dangerous as Belal, and some would argue that with heavier hands, he could be a more difficult challenge for Edwards. Grappling is Brady’s bread-and-butter, and with an opponent that doesn’t necessarily present much of a knockout threat, his confidence could grow when attempting to close the distance and secure takedowns. 

At 33, I don’t envision Edwards adding anything new to his skill set. Still, it’s also difficult to see him getting taken down and dominated on the ground like Belal achieved versus an opponent that really doesn’t have the offensive wrestling. 

Yes, Brady’s submission threat will be significantly higher than that of Belal, but nobody has ever finished Edwards inside the distance, and I wouldn’t expect that to change in front of the UK crowd. So, will these factors leave us with a striking battle? If yes, this has to be Edwards’ fight to lose, as we don’t have a big enough sample size of Brady competing at this level.  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Following his decision loss to Belal Muhammad, Leon Edwards aims to bounce back and faces Sean Brady. In that loss, he was controlled on the ground for extensive periods. Can we expect improved grappling?

🇺🇸Sean Brady is on a quiet, two fight winning streak following his loss… pic.twitter.com/2mwCQu6WpX

— Home Of Fight Picks (@theHOFPicks) March 17, 2025

Edwards vs. Brady Trends  

• Edwards is unbeaten in 13 of his last 14 UFC bouts 

• Brady has only defeated one top-15-ranked welterweight (Burns) 

• Brady has gone the distance in 50% of his UFC bouts 

• Edwards has gone the distance in 13 of his 18 UFC bouts 

• 10 of Edwards’ 14 UFC wins were by decision 

Edwards vs. Brady: UFC London Best Bet  

I want to believe that Brady can emulate Belal and remove Edwards’ best weapons by grounding him. However, there’s a difference between Belal’s wrestling savvy and Brady’s BJJ skills and the Brit is renowned for having a sharp mind and set of tools regarding takedown defense. 

Unless Brady manages to catch Edwards, which I doubt he will with a 4-inch height disadvantage, I could easily envision the Englishman doing what he does best: point-fighting from the outside on route to winning at least three of the five rounds. Mixing in a little biased judging, Brady will need a dominant performance to convince the judges, thus adding even more pressure on his mind alongside an arena filled with English fans booing him. 

From a betting perspective, Edwards, as an underdog, is the side. Regarding the result method, five rounds and a judge’s decision feel like the obvious play here, as we have two durable fighters who won’t risk it all to get a stoppage. 

My Best Bet 1: Leon Edwards Wins 

My Best Bet 2: Fight Goes to Decision