Sean Brady has his sights set on a former UFC welterweight champion next, naming Jack Della Maddalena as his preferred opponent as he pushes for a top-five matchup.
Brady finished former champion Leon Edwards in March 2025 and entered as the No. 1 contender, but later suffered a loss to undefeated Michael Morales at UFC 322. He rebounded in May at UFC 328, defeating Joaquin Buckley by lopsided decision, and now wants his next step to be a high-ranked name.
"I personally want somebody in the top five," Brady said. "I think I deserve that. I was the No. 1 contender after I beat Leon. I was waiting around because the division was jammed up. I took Morales. I lost that fight, but then I came back, took a dangerous fight against Buckley, beat Buckley. I think I deserve a guy in the top five. I know (Kamaru) Usman is going to 185, supposedly so that's kind of what I'm looking for: somebody in the top five – Jack (Della Maddalena), (Gabriel) Bonfim, (Carlos) Prates."
Brady highlighted Della Maddalena as a logical choice despite the former champion’s recent results. "He's on a little bit of a skid right now, but he's still a former champion, so I think that fight would definitely make sense," Brady said.
With Islam Makhachev scheduled to defend the UFC welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 headliner on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia, Brady believes his recent willingness to fight down the rankings should now be rewarded. "But I just fought back (in the rankings) twice, so I think the right thing to do is to give me someone in the top five."
