LAS VEGAS – Sean Brady is ready for more elite competition at welterweight after beating Michael Chiesa in the UFC Fight Night 198 co-main event.
Brady (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) added to his undefeated record Saturday with a breakout performance against Chiesa (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) that resulted in a unanimous decision triumph. Although he said his effort didn’t “scratch the surface” of what he’s capable of, he still beat an established contender.
“I didn’t underestimate him coming in,” Brady told MMA Junkie and other media post-fight at UFC Fight Night 198. “I knew this was going to be a tough fight. Sometimes you get finishes, sometimes you don’t. … There’s just some guys who are dogs and they’re hard to get out of there.”
Despite trying his best, Chiesa was unable to unseat Brady from his perfect career start. It’s now 15 consecutive wins for him, and Brady is rapidly evolving into a title contender.
He knows he still has work to do before that label can be truly attached to him, and as he continues his climb, sees the winner of the UFC Fight Night 199 matchup between Belal Muhammad (19-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and Stephen Thompson (16-5-1 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC) on Dec. 19 as a fight that could elevate him to the next level.
“I think the winner of Belal and ‘Wonderboy’ would be fun,” Brady said. “I don’t know what they’re both ranked, but I know they’re in the top 10. I know the rankings come out on Tuesday, I’m sure I’m going to land somewhere in the top 10. Then yeah, we can go from there.”
Sean Brady targets Belal Muhammad vs. ‘Wonderboy’ winner after UFC Fight Night 198