Sean Brady vs. Belal Muhammad set for UFC 281
An intriguing welterweight matchup between top-10 ranked fighters Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad has been set for UFC 281.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto confirmed that verbal agreements are in place for the No. 5 ranked Muhammad and the No. 9 ranked Brady to clash at UFC 281, which is set to take place on October 22 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Due to their high ranking and the likelihood that the winner of this fight will be close to a title shot at 170lbs, fans can expect this to be on the main PPV card.
Big business here at welterweight. No. 5 vs. No. 9 in the official rankings. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) vs. Sean Brady (@seanbradymma) is verbally agreed for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, per sources. pic.twitter.com/z2DodT19HS
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 8, 2022
Big business here at welterweight. No. 5 vs. No. 9 in the official rankings. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) vs. Sean Brady (@seanbradymma) is verbally agreed for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, per sources.
Brady (15-0) has been one of the top young welterweights in the UFC ever since first entering the Octagon in 2019. Since then, he is a perfect 5-0 in the UFC, with notable wins over the likes of Michael Chiesa and Jake Matthews. Brady has not fought since November 2021, so he will enter this fight against Muhammad on an 11-month layoff. That being said, since he is just 29 years old, there is a good chance that he will be even more improved and better than ever when we see him step back into the cage. Many fans and media believe Brady could be a future UFC welterweight champion, and if he gets by Muhammad, he would likely be only one or two more wins away from fighting for the title.
Muhammad (21-3, 1 NC) is ranked higher than Brady, so on paper, this is a step down for him in the rankings after beating Vicente Luque and Stephen Thompson in his last two fights. That being said, Muhammad won both of those fights with his wrestling, and he likely won’t have that advantage against Brady, which should lead to a standup fight. Muhammad is 33 years old and he has been in the UFC since 2016, going 12-3, 1 NC overall in the Octagon. He has not fought for the UFC welterweight title yet, but if he beats Brady at UFC 281, he will likely be calling for a title shot.
Who do you think wins between Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad at UFC 281?
