No. 5-ranked welterweight contender Belal Muhammad made a statement in the featured UFC 280 preliminary bout in Abu Dhabi on Saturday by taking out Sean Brady.
Muhammad entered the match feeling disrespected having to fight someone lower ranked than him and took the fight to the No. 8-ranked Brady. He pressed forward from the start and kept Brady on his heels.
Brady had some success in the opening round, but that all changed in the second frame. Muhammad connected with a right hand that stunned Brady. Sensing the end was near, Muhammad let loose combination after combination. Brady never went down, but was out on his feet. After absorbing several shots without returning fire, the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight late in the second round.
“This is the hardest came I’ve ever worked man,” Muhammad said in his post-fight interview. “I’ve never worked harder in my life for this camp.
“I felt like I was being disrespected. They were making me fight down (in the rankings). I beat two Top 5 guys in a row, so I had to come out here and put on a performance for my people.”
With the win, Muhammad solidified himself as a contender in the division and predicted that he’ll be the 170-pound champion in 2023.
“It doesn’t matter to me (who I fight next). I’m here to fight the best people. This guy was undefeated. People were like, ‘why are you taking it?’ I’m taking it so I can beat the best, everybody in this division. I’m going to be the champion in 2023. You better believe it.”
Belal Muhammad ends Sean Brady’s unbeaten streak at UFC 280
