Philadelphia native Sean Brady secured an impressive victory over Ismail Naurdiev this past Saturday at UFC: Norfolk. A slight underdog headed into the fight, Brady deployed top notch grappling en-route to a unanimous decision. With the win, the Renzo Gracie Philly product improved to 12-0 professionally and 2-0 at the UFC level. Brady’s first UFC victory came in his promotion debut against veteran Court McGee last October.
Overall, this was an incredibly sound performance from Sean Brady. We were able to witness his grappling at the UFC level and it was impressive to say the least. After being slightly out landed by Naurdiev in the first, Brady was able to secure two take-downs in the second and control the majority of the round. Whenever Naurdiev tried to get up, Brady was always one step ahead and repeatedly knocked him back down with leg hooks. For the majority of the fight, Naurdiev was cubed up and eating strikes.
All together, Sean Brady wracked up 8:04 minutes of control to go along with four take-downs. Brady – a BJJ black belt – also seems to be working on his gas tank. Cardio was something to watch here after a grinding fight with McGee, who is known for wearing down his opponents. It was smooth sailing in this one as Brady looked as if he could go another two rounds.
On the feet, Brady clearly respected Naudiev’s explosiveness and power but still came forward in order to keep him honest. The Philly native landed several impressive flurries and dealt serious damage with leg kicks. While Naurdiev landed some powerful front kicks and managed to keep his range for a time, Brady never let him get into a true rhythm. As a result, Brady controlled the majority of the fight.
With two UFC wins in as many attempts, Brady will certainly be getting more attention going forward. He moved up from 74th to 59th in Tapology’s worldwide welterweight rankings. Undefeated fighters always draw intrigue, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the UFC gives Sean Brady a tried and true opponent sooner rather than later.
Sean Brady vs. Mike Perry in Dublin? We can dream.