Unless something changes between now and Saturday night, [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] is going to find himself in a very unfamiliar position – though he’s doing his best to make the best of his spot.
“I’ve never been the first fight, ever, even in my amateur career,” Brady told MMA Junkie. “It’s going to be a new experience. I understand it, man. It is what it is. I’m getting in there. I’m in the UFC. I get to fight. Actually, maybe it will be better to be early.
“I get to go in there, I get to warm up right away, and then it’s time to fight. There’s no sitting around for hours, where your mind starts to race and you’re waiting and watching guys fight. I can go in there, wrap my hands, and I’m warming up and then fighting. You don’t have time to think about it. It might actually be a little bit better for me.”
A former Cage Fury Fighting Championships welterweight champion, Brady made his long-awaited UFC debut in October, taking on a grizzled veteran in Court McGee and ultimately grinding out a decision win.
Brady admits he didn’t make his debut under ideal circumstances but wasn’t willing to delay his first UFC appearance for any reason.
“That training camp was rough,” Brady admitted. “I had a couple injuries going into that fight, and I just needed to make it to that fight. I knew if I got there, I was going to win, and I was going to find a way to win no matter what.
“Court was a super tough opponent. There’s no easy fights in the UFC no matter what, but getting a fight with Court and handling it the way I think I handled it – I think I did well, and I just took away that I can hang with the best guys in the world. I knew that going in, and every fight I’m just going to get to show a little bit more. I was proud of myself, but nobody’s really seen what I’m capable of yet. I’m excited to get back in there and start showing people what I’m made of.”
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Brady (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) gets that chance when he takes on Ismail Naurdiev (19-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27, which takes place at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The night’s full card streams on ESPN+.
Brady admits he didn’t know much about Naurdiev when he was given the matchup, but he certainly doesn’t intend that as any disrespect.
“At first I hadn’t heard of him, but I’m sure people have probably heard my name and thought, ‘Who the hell is Sean Brady?'” he said. “There’s so many guys now, but as soon as I looked him up, I knew he was a super tough and good opponent. He’s really dynamic on his feet. He’s got a lot of good striking and spinning attacks, and then he’s not a slouch in the wrestling department, either.
“He’s a tough guy. He’s got a lot of experience, too, for being how young he is, but I think that I’m going to have some answers for everything he throws at me. It’s an exciting matchup, and I’m excited to get in there and tussle with him, for sure.”
Brady’s debut was in Boston, and he returns in Norfolk, both short distances from his Philadelphia home. He expects to have around 200 supporters in attendance, just like he did in his debut. But the 27-year-old isn’t too worried about a location or a friendly crowd. He said he feels comfortable in the cage no matter the circumstances.
“My debut felt good,” Brady said. “I kind of felt at home. CFFC does an amazing job of the way they handle their shows, so I almost just felt like it was a little but bigger of a step, but I was ready for it because of CFFC and how they run their stuff.”
Of course, in those CFFC shows, Brady was quite often the headliner. This time, he’s jerking the curtains to kick off the night, but with any luck, that won’t be a spot he resides in for very long.
“I think a lot of people don’t know what to expect from me,” Brady said. “A lot of my fights before were me taking guys down and ground-and-pound and maybe getting the finish there. In my Court fight, I showed that I’ve got really good hands and really good kicks. I feel like I can win this fight anywhere, but I feel like I’ll win this fight with pressure and making him tired and making it a grinding, grueling fight and getting him out of there. That’s my plan. I’m definitely looking for a finish.
“When this show’s over, people will know who I am.”
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