Sean Brady recently claimed that the UFC may be stepping away from labeling fights as title eliminators. He shared his thoughts on why he believes that and whether he agrees with the shift.
Brady currently sits at No. 2 in the UFC welterweight rankings. He is coming off an impressive submission win over former champion Leon Edwards.
The welterweight division has seen many changes. Jack Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad, who now holds the No. 1 spot. Islam Makhachev later vacated his lightweight title to move up and challenge Della Maddalena in his first title defense.
In response, the UFC recently announced two high-stakes welterweight matchups. Brady faces Michael Morales at UFC 322. Meanwhile, Muhammad will fight Ian Machado Garry at UFC Qatar on Nov. 22.
During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Brady revealed that the UFC is no longer promising title fights. He believes the promotion prefers to reward performance rather than ranking.
“The UFC aren’t saying any fight is a No.1 contender fight anymore,” Brady said. I don’t think they’re publicly saying anything because they want to see how all these fights shake out. They’re not gonna say one guy’s the No. 1 contender if he wins and he has a lackluster performance.”
He added:
“I just think it’s whoever performs the best, and then whoever’s gonna be available when they need you, I think that’s gonna be how it goes.”
Sean Brady Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Michael Morales
Brady also explained why he accepted a risky fight against Morales at UFC 322. He is ranked much higher and has a lot more to lose.
Brady enters the bout as the No. 2 ranked UFC welterweight. Morales, an undefeated prospect, is currently ranked No. 8. A win over the surging contender could boost his chances.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, the Philadelphia native described his conversation with UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell. Brady said he wants to remain active, and Morales was the only ranked option available.
“Hunter Campbell called me personally and he was the one who offered my Morales,” Brady said. “They pretty much told me Morales was the only guy available if I wanted to fight this year. Yeah, so I’m going to fight.”
Brady added that he also accepted the fight because as a top contender, matchups like this are inevitable.
“At the end of the day, Morales is 18-0. I’m going to have to fight him eventually, I’m going to have to fight all these guys eventually. So, I’ll get him out of the way now.”
Brady Not Focusing on UFC Rankings
Despite holding the No. 2 spot, Brady said he isn’t concerned with or focusing on the UFC rankings.
There have been top-ranked fighter bypassed in favor of more marketable matchups in the past. That said, Brady reiterated that he is concerned with making a statement rather than chasing the No. 1 ranking.
“[Campbell] was like, ‘The rankings really don’t matter. At the UFC is gonna put whoever they want in there for the belt.’ So, I’m not really too concerned with the rankings,” Brady told The Ariel Helwani Show. “I go out here, I beat an 18-0 kid, young, hungry, up-and-comer. And then, undeniable is the word in my mind. I’ll become undeniable after that.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post UFC Scrapping No. 1 Contender Fights? Sean Brady Breaks It Down appeared first on Heavy Sports.