UFC London main event winner Sean Brady had more than a few things to say about his opponent, Leon Edwards, following their contest on Saturday night.
Sean Brady Sounds Off on Edwards’ Mentality
Going up against the man who was presumed to be the biggest test of his UFC tenure to date, Sean Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) baffled the English audience by making light work of their hometown hero, Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC). Right from the get-go, the grappling specialist from Philadelphia hounded the former welterweight champion, racking up over 11 minutes of control time throughout the 16-minute contest. Looking lost in the face of Sean Brady’s superior jiu-jitsu, Edwards was eventually submitted in the fourth with a powerful guillotine choke, making it the first time “Rocky” had been stopped in his MMA career.
Now standing as the likely number one contender in the division, Sean Brady has now slotted himself into possible title contention with a victory over a man who once held the 170-lb strap and defended it twice.
The win marked a huge turning point for the American, though in his post-fight press conference, he began to openly question Edwards’s mentality heading into the scrap. Concluding that the European was still too focused on a rematch with current title holder Belal Muhammad, and his foe’s stature, Brady mentioned how Edwards head was not in the cage during their duel.
“I think he was too worried about Belal. He was too worried about how tall I am, he was too worried about a bunch of other things that didn’t matter, and it showed tonight,” Sean Brady said. “He got smoked. He should’ve been more focused on this fight.”
Sean Brady’s Ground Game Tells the Tale on Saturday
Suffocating the Englander with non-stop pressure, Sean Brady showcased a masterclass in grappling and control by smothering and wearing on the elite kickboxer, not giving him any time to set up his shots. It was this aggressive style that the new No. 1 contender attributes to his triumph over a man who had previously conquered other top wrestlers in the weight class like Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.
“Leon likes to be a pretty striker. He likes to have his range and have things go on his terms,” he said. “Once they start going off his terms, he does dumb (expletive deleted) like shoot on me. Then it goes downhill from there.”
What’s Next for Leon Edwards After Defeat to Sean Brady?
Suffering his second straight loss in a row, Edwards finds himself in his first skid as a professional MMA competitor. The setback to Sean Brady was a hard blow for the former champion’s chances at regaining his throne, as he will now likely be booted from the top four in the weight class, further distancing himself from the belt.
With a new wave of young and talented 170-lb contenders making their way up the ladder, Edwards will have to fight even harder if he wants to keep his title aspirations alive.
