Brady showcases dominance in London by outsmarting Edwards with a fourth-round guillotine choke, seizing the spotlight at the O2 Arena.
The 32-year-old Brady, boasting an impressive 18-1 win-loss record, expressed deep personal significance of the fight, which he accepted shortly after his wife gave birth. This moment was not just a victory in his career but also a testimonial to his personal life struggles and resilience.
“I literally took this fight the day I got out of the hospital with my wife [and] with our newborn baby,” Brady said after the win, adding, “I knew this was a fight [where] I could do that [kind of performance] in. I can do that against anybody in the [welterweight] division. I just showed that against one of the former most prestigious champions as of recently. So, yeah, I think I belong in the top 3, top 1 for sure.”
With Belal Muhammad scheduled to defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May, Brady positions himself as a strong candidate to face the winner, showcasing his readiness to take on the best in the division.
Edwards, who was making his first appearance since losing his title to Muhammad in July, initially handled Brady’s aggressive forward pressure in the first round. However, Brady’s relentless ground control and submission threats turned the tide in his favor throughout the second and third rounds.
As Edwards struggled to gain ground, Brady intensified his efforts in the fourth round, employing a mix of submission techniques before successfully applying a guillotine choke, forcing Edwards to tap out.
This win not only marks a significant achievement for Brady but also underscores his potential to top the welterweight division. Edwards, on the other hand, suffers a second consecutive loss, bringing an end to a nearly three-year reign as the UFC welterweight champion.
In the co-main event, Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand secured a unanimous decision victory over former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, extending his unbeaten run to eight fights and inching closer to a title challenge.
Kevin Holland also made an impressive comeback by defeating Gunnar Nelson by unanimous decision at welterweight, ending a two-fight losing streak. In the women’s strawweight division, Molly McCann announced her retirement following a loss to Alexia Thainara, marking the end of her MMA journey after four losses in five UFC appearances.
The event kicked off with Chris Duncan submitting Jordan Vucenic with a guillotine choke in the second round, and Nathaniel Wood frenzied the audience with a dominant unanimous decision win against Morgan Charriere.
The UFC is set to continue its momentum next week in Mexico City, featuring a flyweight showdown between former champion Brandon Moreno and one-time title challenger Steve Erceg.
