Former foe analyzes Belal Muhammad’s mistakes against Gabriel Bonfim

Sean Brady, a former opponent of Belal Muhammad, offered tactical analysis of Muhammad's performance against Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Fight Night 278 on Saturday. Bonfim dominated the welterweight main event, showcasing superior striking and successfully neutralizing Muhammad's wrestling for five rounds to secure a decisive unanimous decision.

Brady identified several areas where Muhammad fell short. Most notably, Brady felt the former champion missed opportunities to catch or counter Bonfim's kicks—particularly low kicks and body kicks—which could have opened avenues for takedowns. Brady drew on his own experience fighting Michael Buckley, explaining that he actively works to catch kicks as a gateway to explosive double-leg takedowns. He also observed that Muhammad spent the fight retreating, fighting on his back foot, which significantly hampered his ability to generate forward momentum needed for wrestling offense. "It's hard to shoot off your back foot, especially if you're trying to be explosive with a double leg," Brady explained. He credited Bonfim for executing a gameplan that prevented Muhammad from imposing his wrestling.

Brady himself has stakes in the welterweight landscape. He suffered a knockout loss to Muhammad in 2022 but has since rebounded, winning three straight fights before a setback to Michael Morales at UFC 322. Most recently, Brady earned a dominant decision over Joaquin Buckley in May. He revealed he has already begun studying Bonfim, anticipating a potential collision course. Brady expressed willingness to face "Marretinha" if Bonfim breaks into the top five at welterweight following his victory over Muhammad.