It appears a key welterweight fight between [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] and [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] isn’t happening at UFC on ESPN 43 after all.
Brady (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Pereira (27-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC) were expected to meet on the March 25 card at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. However, on Saturday, Pereira said he was “disgusted” with Brady on Twitter, claiming he pulled out of the March 25 date, as well as a rescheduled April 15, because of injuries.
In response, Brady said he tore his groin “twice in the past 60 days.” He didn’t appreciate the way Pereira framed his withdrawal. The matchup now appears to be in limbo.
“Mother f*cker you think I don’t want to fight too,” Brady tweeted. “I tore my groin, twice in the past 60 days. Looking forward to this fight don’t be disrespectful.”
Mother fucker you think I don’t want to fight too. I tore my groin, twice in the past 60 days. Looking forward to this fight don’t be disrespectful
— Sean BRADY (@seanbradymma) February 11, 2023
Brady, No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, is coming off his first career loss. After starting with 15 consecutive victories, the American suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 last October.
Pereira, an honorable mention in the latest rankings, hopes to get a number next to his name at Brady’s expense. The Brazilian has won his past five fights, including notable victories over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Niko Price during that stretch.
Below is the updated UFC on ESPN 43 lineup:
- Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
- Holly Holm vs. Yana Santos
- Manel Kape vs. Alex Perez
- Alex Caceres vs. Nate Landwehr
- Albert Duraev vs. Chidi Njokuani
- Tucker Lutz vs. Daniel Pineda
- Lucas Alexander vs. Steven Peterson
- Trevin Giles vs. Preston Parsons
- Liang Na vs. Brogan Walker
- Daniel Da Silva vs. CJ Vergara
- Maycee Barber vs. Andrea Lee
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.