Sean Brady is ready to get back into the win column this December when he welcomes TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum back to the welterweight division.
By the time Brady steps inside the Octagon this winter, he will be more than a year removed from his second-round knockout loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 280. Ready to resume his surge up the divisional rankings, Brady is set to square off with one-time interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum.
Discussing the bout during an appearance on MMA on SiriusXM, Brady revealed that the matchup with Gastelum came as quite a surprise, but one he welcomes with open arms.
“I was very surprised by the name just because I knew he was coming back to 170,” Brady said. “I was kind of thinking it was Vicente [Luque]. They hit me up and told me that’s who it was going to be then they came at with with Kelvin because Vicente is fighting Ian Garry now. It’s a huge fight and like you were even saying to me, he’s a huge name. He’s been around forever. He’s fought some of the best guys. He’s beat some of the best guys. Lost to some of the best guys.
“Now he’s coming back to 170 which he’s definitely a 170-pounder. He took Izzy to a split decision. One of the best 185’ers on the planet. If that’s not going to get you to train hard, I don’t think anything is. I’m super excited to test myself. That’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to fight the best and Kelvin is one of the best.
“Hopefully there’s no trouble for him making weight and on December 2nd, we’ll get after it.”
"Hopefully there's no trouble for him making 170, and December 2nd we'll get to get after it."
Sean Brady talks Kelvin Gastelum moving back down to welterweight ahead of their matchup.
MMA Today | @RJcliffordMMA pic.twitter.com/q8vnoQhy7R
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 3, 2023
Sean Brady Addresses Gastelum’s Past Weight Misses
Kelvin Gastelum originally entered the promotion as a welterweight in 2013, but after failing to make weight on two separate occasions, the San Jose native made the move to middleweight where he has stayed for the majority of his tenure. But after losing five of his last seven bouts, Gastelum is ready for a change of scenery and believes a move back to welterweight could be the ticket.
Asked if he has any concerns over whether or not Gastelum can make the 170-pound limit, Brady suggested that Gastelum should have no trouble so long as he does the work and limits his food intake over the next eight weeks.
And if not, Brady will gladly take a big chunk out of his opponent’s fight purse.
“He’s not that big so if he just f*cking eats right for the next two months, he’ll be alright,” Brady said. “I cut a lot of weight. I cut from almost 200 pounds and I never have a problem getting to 170. It’s just about being dialed in. He’s a professional so hopefully he does what he’s supposed to do.
“And listen, if he misses by a couple, I know Kelvin is probably getting some big paychecks so I’ll take that 30%. But if he misses by 10 pounds like he did against Woodley, I don’t even think they would let the fight happen, but I’m sure he wants to fight and I’m sure him and his team won’t let that happen.”
