Sean Brady Vs. Michael Morales – How Does It Play Out?

Welterweight Sean Brady will make his return to the Octagon against Michael Morales at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden, New York, on November 15, as we look at how the fight will play out.

The fight will take place on the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev card, who face off for the welterweight title. Brady is coming off a win against former welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC London in March, his third consecutive victory since his only defeat against Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 in October 2022. He has beaten the likes of Gilbert Burns and Kelvin Gastelum during this run.

Meanwhile, Morales is undefeated with an 18-0 record. Morales stopped Gilbert Burns by first-round TKO in May, earning him a spot in the welterweight Top 15. Morales has big wins against Neil Magny, Jake Matthews, and Max Griffin. The winner moves a step closer to a title shot.

The Approach

Brady will focus on his wrestling and submission skills to minimize the time spent striking and avoid Morales’ knockout power. He may use feint entries to draw reactions, forcing Morales to brace for the shot, before committing to takedowns. Brady’s ultimate goal is a late-round submission, such as the guillotine or kimura, which he demonstrated against former champion Leon Edwards.

Morales will be looking for an early-fight knockout built on a strategy of distance control and explosive, accurate striking. As the undefeated fighter, his path to victory is to not allow Brady to initiate the grappling exchanges. Morales’ first priority will be to utilize his reach advantage with long jabs and snapping kicks to keep Brady on the end of his strikes, dissuading the shot. His major tactical focus will be his takedown defense, which boasts an impressive 89% success rate.

UFC 322 Card

Jack Della Maddalena (c) vs Islam Makhachev Welterweight Title Bout

Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs Zhang Weili Women’s Flyweight Title Bout

Sean Brady vs Michael Morales Welterweight Bout

Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira Middleweight Bout

Leon Edwards vs Carlos Prates Welterweight Bout

Beneil Dariush vs Benoît Saint Denis Lightweight Bout

Roman Kopylov vs Gregory Rodrigues Middleweight Bout

Erin Blanchfield vs Tracy Cortez Women’s Flyweight Bout

Kyle Daukaus vs Gerald Meerschaert Middleweight Bout

Angela Hill vs Fatima Kline Women’s Strawweight Bout

Baisangur Susurkaev vs Eric McConico Middleweight Bout

Malcolm Wellmaker vs TBD Bantamweight Bout