3 next opponents for Sean Brady after UFC Vegas 97 victory

At UFC Vegas 97, Sean Brady made his ninth walk to the Octagon for a main-event matchup against Gilbert Burns. Heading into the fight, Brady, the number eight-ranked welterweight, was coming off a win against Kelvin Gastelum and planned to continue building momentum by taking out Burns.

Brady showcased a dominant performance on Saturday night, landing 130 significant strikes and seven takedowns (official UFC Stats website). The judge's scorecards matched how the fight played out, with Brady emerging victorious by unanimous decision (50-45 x2 and 49-46).

In October 2022, Brady suffered a second-round TKO loss against Belal Muhammad. The American's lone defeat against the now-welterweight champion had many fans jumping ship and labeling him as "overrated." Since then, Brady has silenced many doubters by taking out Gastelum and Burns.

Moving forward, Brady will undoubtedly have a strong presence in the UFC welterweight division. As for a title shot, he'll likely need at least two more wins based on the current 170-pound landscape.

Firstly, Belal Muhammad dominated Leon Edwards to become the new welterweight champion, giving the promotion no reason to book an immediate rematch. Therefore, Muhammad's next fight could be against number three-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov, who holds a 6-0 UFC record, all finishes.

Meanwhile, it's unclear what's next for number one-ranked Edwards and number two-ranked Kamaru Usman, as nobody is calling for a fourth fight between them.

Therefore, both former world champions could be matched up against number four-ranked Jack Della Maddalena, number five-ranked Colby Covington, or a potential contender outside the top five. A primary factor on the situation is when Muhammad wants to defend his title for the first time.

Following UFC Vegas 97, Brady has put himself into the mix of previously mentioned fighters. The question is, who should he face in his next Octagon appearance?

1. Ian Garry

Shortly after getting his hand raised, Sean Brady stood in the middle of the APEX Octagon and capitalized on his microphone time. The welterweight contender mentioned number seven-ranked Ian Machado Garry as a potential opponent for his next fight.

Garry made his UFC debut in November 2021 as a highly touted Cage Warriors alum who could make some noise at welterweight. Fans quickly turned on 'The Future' for factors outside the Octagon, including false allegations that his wife, Layla, was using him for money and fame.

Regardless of the negative noise, Garry continued to take out any opponent put in his path, leading to an 8-0 promotional record, including three wins by KO/TKO. The 26-year-old's latest win was a unanimous decision against Michael 'Venom' Page at UFC 303 in June.

Brady vs Garry would be a solid test for both rising welterweight contenders. Over his last two fights, Brady has showed an improvement in his striking skills. Therefore, it would be intriguing to see how his standup attacks would fare against the technical prowess of Garry.

On the contrary, Brady's grappling skills remain a threat to any of his opponents. Garry has proven he's not an easy fighter to take down, but how would he perform against the ruthless aggression of Brady? With a win, either fighter would show they've evolved into more of a well-rounded fighter.

2. Colby Covington

Sean Brady joined the media for a post-fight press conference after UFC Vegas 97. When asked about number five-ranked Colby Covington, Brady claimed he would love to fight the former interim welterweight champion because he's "the easiest matchup in the division."

Covington was once considered the best 170-pound fighter in the world not named Kamaru Usman. Unfortunately, he's only fought twice since the beginning of 2022 - a unanimous decision win against Jorge Masvidal and a unanimous decision loss against then-welterweight king Leon Edwards.

Losing against Edwards wasn't the primary problem. Instead, fans ridiculed 'Chaos' for taking trash talk to the next level and then showcasing a poor performance on fight night. Covington claimed he broke his foot at the beginning of the first round and couldn't bounce back to execute his game plan.

At 36 years old, there are concerns about how much Covington has left in the tank. With that said, 'Chaos' maintains unmatched cardio and a dangerous wrestling skill set when he's healthy. Covington's next Octagon appearance is likely make-or-break for his fighting career.

Brady vs Covington wouldn't have massive stakes in the UFC welterweight division. Yet, the matchup would give Brady an opportunity to add a superstar and former interim champion to his resume. As for Covington, he could re-insert himself into the title picture at 170 pounds.

3. Jack Della Maddalena

Last but certainly not least, Jack Della Maddalena needs an opponent to push him toward a title shot. The 27-year-old has won seven consecutive fights, five inside the distance, since his UFC debut in January 2022, including a third-round knockout against Gilbert Burns in March.

Della Maddalena is likely eyeing one of the three opponents ranked in front of him - Shavkat Rakhmonov, Kamaru Usman, and Leon Edwards. Assuming those matchups don't work out, the Aussie would need to fight someone with hype behind them.

Sean Brady could be a solid option for Della Maddalena's last fight. Both welterweight contenders are coming off a win against Burns. Furthermore, they want to make another statement to prove they are a legitimate threat to Belal Muhammad's 170-pound throne.

Della Maddalena hasn't fought a grappling-heavy opponent at the top of the welterweight division, making Brady an intriguing challenge. Meanwhile, Brady has gained confidence in his striking and could test his evolved skills against the always-dangerous Della Maddalena.

Another solid reason to book Della Maddalena vs Brady would be to keep both fighters active while the top three-ranked fighters figure out what's next. Those plans could quickly be diminished if Della Maddalena ends up fighting Usman or Edwards, which also makes sense.

To be honest, Brady's next fight should be against Covington or Garry. Despite his latest performance, it seems like the 31-year-old needs another impressive win before being in the conversation for a welterweight title shot. Only time will tell if the UFC brass is on the same page.