Sean Brady should be second in line for UFC welterweight title

Shavkat Rakhmonov, currently the second-ranked welterweight contender, is still rightfully next up. Rakhmonov was meant to take on welterweight champion Belal Muhammad twice now, only missing out because of injuries. 

Muhammad pulled out of their planned title bout at UFC 310 due to a bone infection. Rakhmonov then said he was offered a title shot at UFC 315 but was unable to compete as he’s recovering from a knee injury. As a result, Muhammad will defend his belt against Jack Della Maddalena.

But while Rakhmonov will likely take on the winner of the UFC 315 main event, Brady thinks he has the more impressive recent resume.

“I think if you look at the people I’ve been beating versus Shavkat…Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards, my last two, versus his last two. I think his were Wonderboy [Stephen Thompson] and Ian Garry, so I got a nice little record going,” Brady said after his victory over Edwards, per MMA Junkie.

In truth, the two fighters’ recent resumes are a bit of a tossup. Brady did just beat the top-ranked contender in Edwards, but he beat Burns when the Brazilian was on a two-fight skid.

Rakhmonov took out Thompson, who, while a legend of the game, was 40 at the time and entered their matchup 3-4 in his previous seven fights. However, Rakhmonov’s performance against Garry was as impressive as Brady beating a former champion, as the Kazakh was fighting with a torn MCL — the injury that kept him out of UFC 315.

Brady deserves a title shot, but he should have to fight the loser of the May 10 bout between Muhammad and Della Maddalena first. And in a perfect UFC world, Maddalena takes the title, and Brady gets the chance to avenge the lone loss on his record — a TKO at the hands of Muhammad at UFC 280 — to earn his go at the belt.