Sean Brady may be gearing up for some major career changes.
Earlier this month, the No. 7-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight suffered a devastating stoppage loss to surging contender
Michael Morales at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City (watch highlights). The defeat effectively knocked Brady out of the immediate title conversation — and raised some questions about where he goes from here.
One of the biggest talking points from fight week was the massive size disparity between the two Welterweights. Even at the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-ins, the difference was glaring, and on fight night it looked as if they were competing in different weight classes altogether.
During the latest episode of Brady’s weekly podcast, The BradyBagz Show, his co-hosts asked whether the issue was Brady being too small or Morales being too big. Brady responded with a revelation: a move to Lightweight is at least on the table.
“I don’t think I’m too small — I’ve done testing at the UFC P.I., and I’m at the max muscle mass at 170,” Brady said. “But yeah, I’m a smaller 170. If you look at everyone in the top of the division, they’re all over six feet. It’s something I might visit at some point, maybe try to get down to 155. It would be very, very hard. It’s not a skill thing or a strength thing — it’s a dimensions thing. Morales is just a freak. I heard they weighed him in the back at 210 pounds.”
If someone looks at Brady … how in the world is he going to make Lightweight? The man is a tank at 170.
As for the fight itself, Brady isn’t devastated. He knew the risk of taking on the undefeated Morales and understands the reality of the sport: “Sometimes you’re the hammer, and sometimes you’re the nail.”
Still, he’s frustrated that he didn’t get to showcase anything he worked on during camp — especially his elite-level grappling.
“He wasn’t overly fast, I just got caught,” Brady said. “What bothers me is I didn’t get to show everything from camp. I should have shot right away. It sucks, but it also makes me excited to get back in there.”
Brady is already eyeing his next target: a rematch with former foe Belal Muhammad, the only other man to hand him a loss inside the Octagon.
