"That's gonna be a hell of a fight" - Curtis Blaydes predicts whose grappling will reign supreme in Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady clash
As Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady prepare to collide in the octagon with potential title implications on the line, Curtis Blaydes has weighed in on how he expects the welterweight clash to play out.
The undefeated Brady is coming off a closely fought decision win over Michael Chiesa and hopes to push towards a shot at UFC gold in the near future. At 15-0, the 29-year-old Pennsylvanian looks like one of the most dangerous rising talents in the division, and a big key to his success is his high-level jiu-jitsu honed under Daniel Gracie.
With the 170lbs collision moving closer, UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes gave his opinion on the matchup in an MMA Pros Pick video on James Lynch's YouTube channel. Expecting the fight to take place mostly on the ground, 'Razor' believes Sean Brady has a better chance of coming out on top, despite praising Belal Muhammad's jiu-jitsu:
"That's gonna be a hell of a fight. It's gonna end up on the ground, and that's what scares me because, I do believe in Belal's jiu-jitsu, [but] I think that's also the best place for Brady to win. I guess it really depends on if it ends up on the ground, and if it does, I guess I'll say Brady, but I don't know, that's a hard one."
No.8-ranked welterweight Brady will be aiming to crack the top five of the division when he comes up against a tough opponent at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi in October.
Check out what Curtis Blaydes predicted for the upcoming matchup in the video below:
Should a win earn Belal Muhammad a title shot?
Belal Muhammad has been quietly racking up an impressive unbeaten streak in the octagon, and another standout performance against Sean Brady could earn him a shot at UFC gold.
Unbeaten in his last eight fights and 11-1-1 in his last 13, 'Remember the Name' has put together a record the UFC can't ignore, and has wins over some of the best active competitors in the division.
Wins over the surging Randy Brown, the dangerous submission specialist Demian Maia, the karate wizard Stephen Thompson, and the well-rounded Vicente Luque have rightfully inserted the 34-year-old Muhammad into the title picture.
Although he may have been losing, Belal Muhammad went toe-to-toe with the current welterweight king Leon Edwards before the unfortunate eye poke and would relish the chance at getting that one back if the opportunity arises.