Sean Brady made a strong statement by overwhelming former champion Leon Edwards and submitting him with a guillotine choke to win the main event at UFC London on Saturday.
Taking the fight on short notice after Jack Della Maddalena was removed from the card, Brady appeared to be the more prepared fighter. He consistently took Edwards to the ground and controlled him with superior grappling.
After three rounds of dominance, Brady secured a guillotine choke from the top position, one of his signature moves, leaving Edwards with no escape. Edwards tapped at 1:39 of the fourth round, marking Brady`s most significant victory and the first time Edwards has ever been finished.
“It feels amazing,” Brady said about his win. “To be honest, I took this fight right after leaving the hospital with my wife and our newborn baby. I knew I was capable of this. I know I can do this against anyone in the division. I proved it against a highly regarded champion. I believe I belong in the top three, or even number one.”
At the beginning of the fight, Edwards showed confidence in the clinch, using short strikes against Brady. However, Brady`s persistent pressure eventually led to a takedown late in the first round, although he didn`t have enough time to capitalize.
Once Brady achieved that first takedown, the fight shifted in his favor.
At the start of the second round, Brady quickly moved across the cage and immediately took Edwards down again. From there, Brady improved his position, gained Edwards` back, and began landing punches, setting up submission attempts.
A scramble resulted in Brady gaining side control and attempting a kimura. While Edwards defended, the round ended with Brady delivering ground and pound.
When the fight was standing, Edwards tried to utilize his striking, but in the third round, a takedown attempt of his own backfired. Brady secured a front headlock and proceeded to dominate Edwards on the ground with forceful punches and superior grappling control.
Brady punished Edwards on the ground, and the former champion had no way to escape as time passed. Brady`s continued dominance led to him locking in the guillotine choke and securing the submission from the top.
As the pressure intensified, Edwards couldn`t break free and tapped out, giving Brady the victory and moving him closer to a title shot.
“I said all week I wasn’t thinking about it, but it’s pretty cool knowing I’ll be ranked No. 1 on Monday or Tuesday,” Brady mentioned. “But yeah, whatever Dana [White] and Hunter [Campbell] want, these guys gave me an amazing opportunity to come out here.”
“I love all the UK fans, sorry for doing that to your boy, nothing but respect for you guys. Whatever Hunter and Dana want next, that’s what we’re going to do, but I have a couple of weeks to relax at home with my wife and newborn.”
Brady`s future is uncertain because he has a previous loss to Muhammad, but defeating a former champion like Edwards significantly improves his position in the division. Whether he receives a title shot likely depends on the timing, with Muhammad fighting Della Maddalena in May and Shavkat Rakhmonov also a top contender.
