Whoever exits the cage as UFC welterweight champion in November may already know who they’ll be facing next by the time they leave Madison Square Garden.
Islam Makhachev finally has his shot at achieving two-division glory officially on the calendar a few months on from his successor at 155 pounds being decided.
In the main event of UFC 322 on November 15, Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena, looking to bring the Australian’s title reign to an end in his very first defense.
With that, all eyes are set to be on the welterweight division come fight night in New York City later this year, and one of the division’s top contenders hopes to make the most of that with a high-profile assignment of his own.
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Sean Brady pitches UFC 322 showdown in latest Ian Machado Garry callout
Had Makhachev not chosen to move up, Sean Brady was among the leading candidates for the next title shot amid his run of three straight wins since his one and only career loss to then-future champion Belal Muhammad in 2022.
Since his latest win, the Philadelphia native has had a difficult time finding his next opponent as he looks to secure a first opportunity at the belt. According to the No. 2-ranked contender, that’s been down to Ian Machado Garry’s reluctance to face him.
Following two failed bookings against the Irishman for the summer and fall, Brady told UFC Unfiltered that he’s hoping for that matchup to finally reach the cage on the undercard of Della Maddalena vs Makhachev at MSG.
And if ‘The Future’ has different plans, Brady has a couple of backup options in mind for his expected title eliminator.
“June…they (UFC) called our manager…said, ‘Do you guys want to fight in Chicago?'” Brady said. “I said yes…couple weeks went by, I didn’t hear anything.
“About a month or so ago, they reached out to us about being the main event in Vancouver on October 18. I said yes on my side…(but) it just never happened.
“I don’t think Ian is scared of anybody,” Brady continued. “But I don’t know if he’s trying to negotiate for more money or — I really don’t know what he’s doing. I have been offered that fight two times and I have said yes.
“Now, at this point, I am hoping this fight will happen at MSG in November. … It’s just super frustrating trying to get a fight. At this point now, we’re aiming for MSG — whether it’s Belal (Muhammad), whether it’s Ian, whether it’s Shavkat (Rakhmonov)…whoever wins that fight is fighting for the belt next.”
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UFC 322 already features another key welterweight clash
While Brady angles to book his spot on the MSG lineup, looking to make a statement on the same night as his division’s next title fight, two other contenders have already secured the chance to impress on November 15.
In addition to Makhachev’s shot at two-division glory, Dana White announced that former champion Leon Edwards will face the charging Carlos Prates on the UFC 322 undercard.
Edwards lost to Muhammad at UFC 304 last year and failed to bounce back in his one outing in 2025 thus far. ‘Rocky’ was dominated by Brady in London, denting the Englishman’s push for a return to the throne.
His opponent, meanwhile, was recently able to rebound from disappointment. After having his rise temporarily stalled by Machado Garry this past April, Prates brutally knocked out Geoff Neal at UFC 319 with a spinning back elbow to reignite his title ambitions.