Burns vs. Brady: Did UFC Vegas 97 shake up the welterweight rankings?

The welterweight category in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has always been one of the most exciting and closely contested categories in MMA. Since GSP, whom many consider to be one of the best ever in the division, to Kamaru Usman and the new crop of talent, the 170-pound division has been delivering great fights. This event, UFC Vegas 97, that took place on September 14, 2024, was not an exception and offered fans an interesting match between the best welterweight contenders Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.

The two fighters went into the octagon with a lot to lose and gain in the fight. For Burns, it was an opportunity to come back into the division’s upper echelon after a defeat he suffered earlier in the year. For Brady, it was a chance to climb into the top five of the welterweight division and maybe even get a shot at a championship bout. The bout that was as expected proved to be significant in the UFC welterweight division.

In this article, the author looks at the fight between Burns and Brady, the relevance of this fight to the welterweight rankings, the division’s title picture, and what is in store for Burns and Brady. Also, we will discuss the overall view of the welterweight division and the possible fights that can be arranged in the near future. Has UFC Vegas 97 upset the welterweight rankings? Let’s explore.

The Fighters: Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady

Gilbert Burns: The Veteran Warrior

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns is one of the longest tenured fighters in the UFC’s welterweight division. Burns is an experienced fighter with a very high work rate, a large variety of skills, and a desire to face the toughest opponents. Although he started his professional career as a lightweight, his ascension to the welterweight category was the point of no return, which saw him become a real contender for the titles. Burns has a good background in BJJ, having won several BJJ world championships before turning full-time MMA fighter.

In his career, Burns has proved that he is not only a wrestler but much more than that. Before joining Sanford MMA (now Kill Cliff FC) to be trained by Henri Hooft, he had great striking but had become even more lethal on the ground. As a result of his striking and grappling skills, Burns is a dangerous man for anyone at 170 pounds.

Burns got his first title shot at UFC 258 in 2021 after building a good winning streak that included knockouts over former champion Tyron Woodley, submission artist Demian Maia, and the elusive Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. However, his title challenge bout against Kamaru Usman ended in a third-round TKO loss. Nevertheless, Burns retained his position as one of the top five contenders and kept on pursuing the second opportunity.

When UFC Vegas 97 came, Burns ranked #5 in the welterweight division list. Burns arrived at the fight on the back of a decision loss to Belal Muhammad earlier in 2024 and was looking to bounce back. His game against Brady was a turning point in his career—aanother defeat would take him even further away from a title shot, while a victory would bring him right back into the mix.

Sean Brady: The Rising Phenom

Sean Brady was one of the most promising prospects in the welterweight division in UFC Vegas 97. Brady entered the octagon with an undefeated record in his first 15 professional fights coming from Philadelphia. He has very good grappling, a high work rate, and steadily evolving stand-up game. Brady was able to keep the game most of the time focused on wrestling; his submission skills made his game hard to read for the opponent.

He made his way through the UFC division rather quickly. Brady started to put together victories against some prominent opponents within the division, such as Court McGee, Jake Matthews, and former lightweight title contender Michael Chiesa. Nevertheless, his ascend to the top was stopped in 2022 when he suffered his first loss to Belal Muhammad, a fighter who has been around for quite some time and is famous for his pressure and late finisher.

After the loss, Brady came back strongly with a victory over Neil Magny and entry into the #7 ranked welterweight division in UFC Vegas 97. A win over Burns would place him in the top five and would put him in the running for the title eliminator fight. For Brady, the stakes were high: this was his opportunity to make it into the upper crust of the division.

The Fight: Burns vs. Brady

The bout between Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady was one of the most intriguing at UFC Vegas 97. It was interesting to see the style difference between the two fighters as fans and analysts watched. Burns’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and dangerous striking would meet Brady’s wrestling and relentless top game.

The bout itself was as expected, evenly matched, and only the climax was typical of each fighter, but it was Burns who had the better of it in the last push.

Round 1: A Strategic Battle

The first round started with both fighters taking their time in the ring. Burns started the fight in the center of the octagon and used his footwork and leg kicks to control the fight. Brady, whose strength has been his submission fighting, shocked some pundits by not shying away from the stand-up fight. He did connect with his left jab, which he scored in the first round and which threw off Burns’ timing.

But Burns did not lose his temper and remained quite composed. He was able to land several big leg kicks that seemed to have an impact on Brady’s mobility. Every time Brady attempted to move in and put his punches to work, Burns would counter with a quick punch or a hook, keeping his man at a safe range.

During the round, Burns was able to find the range with his overhand right, with increasing frequency. He scored a few good punches that made Brady momentarily step back. Both fighters had their good moments, but Burns seemed to take the round with the pressure, power, and the ability to dictate the range of the fight.

Round 2: Brady’s Grappling Dominance

The second round saw Brady shift to his bread and butter: grappling. In the course of a few seconds of feeling out each other with their kicks, Brady caught Burns off guard and took him down with a perfect double-leg. This was a crucial point in the bout because Brady’s wrestling and top game had been his best weapons in prior bouts.

Once he got on the ground, Brady’s control was absolute. He proceeded to try and move up the rankings to get to a position where he could ground and pound his opponent. Burns, who has one of the best submission skills in the division, was on the back foot having to defend. For most parts of the round, Brady was on top control as Burns tried to set scrambles and threatened with submissions.

That was very effective in how Brady was able to shut down Burns on the ground. He connected with all his shots from the mount and controlled the round, making Burns backpedal. At this juncture of the fight, it seemed that Brady had wrested the upper hand in the grappling, making the fight more in his favor.

Round 3: Burns’ Dramatic Comeback

Going into the third round, most people thought that Brady had the momentum. His performance in the second round made it appear as if he would take full advantage of the takedown prowess. But Burns had other ideas on his mind.

It was with this in mind that Burns realized that he was probably being dominated on the scorecards and therefore came out attacking in the third round. He immediately applied pressure on Brady, thus eliminating the octagon and making him fight at stand-up striking range. Brady, who may have been tired from the ground-based second round, looked slightly less spry and was hit more often.

In the middle of the round, Burns scored a good overhand right that had Brady on the ropes. Taking the scent of blood, Burns rushed forward with a number of punches, striking Brady and pushing him against the fence. Brady tried to counter-attack, but Burns was just too aggressive for him. A series of clean shots forced the referee to step in and stop the fight, awarding Burns a TKO victory at 3:42 of the third round.

The comeback, in this case, was nothing short of spectacular. While Burns was able to stand the test in the second round and to knock out the opponent in the third round, it proved the real championship level of both his endurance and his finishing power.

Post-Fight Analysis: Are UFC Vegas 97 New Welterweight Rankings?

The events following UFC Vegas 97 brought a lot of changes to the welterweight category. Since Gilbert Burns claimed a spectacular win against Sean Brady, changes were expected in the rankings, and the 170-pound division was changed.

Burns’ Position in the Rankings

The win over Sean Brady in his career was quite a turning point for Gilbert Burns. Before the bout, Burns was ranked fifth in the division, and the victory solidified him as one of the top fighters in the division. That’s why after the fight with Brady, Burns finished a rising contender and confirmed his status as one of the top five, and if the UFC wants, he can climb even higher.

Burns’ next bout will be decisive in deciding the direction of his career. Another victory over another big name could get him a crack at the title, but there are a number of hurdles in front of him. The title picture is still uncertain, and the contenders include Belal Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Colby Covington.

Brady’s Setback and Future

The loss to Burns was the second in three fights for Sean Brady. It is however important to remember that Brady is a young fighter, and this was a loss that he received, and he is still a very talented fighter with a lot of potential. He is only 31 years old, and he has ample time to hone his skills, specifically the striking and the takedowns.

Even so, Brady should retain a welterweight ranking in the top 10 after the fight. His grappling is superb, and that makes him hard to beat by most fighters in the division; a good matchup could see him regain his form. A fight with another top-10 opponent or a rising prospect might be next for Brady, who needs to reclaim his position in the division.

The Wider Implication on the Welterweight Division

The co-main event bout of UFC Vegas 97 between Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady had a domino effect in the welterweight division. It not only affected the placement but also created possible bouts and narratives for the remaining part of the year.

The Title Picture: Edwards vs. Covington

Currently, the welterweight champion of the UFC is Leon Edwards at the top of the division. Edwards took the title with a spectacular head-kick knockout of Kamaru Usman in 2022 and has since successfully defended it in a rematch with Usman. Edwards is scheduled to make his title defense sometime in 2024 against Colby Covington, a former interim champion and perennial challenger.

Covington, a wrestler with cardio and an exaggerated personality, would be a tough nut to crack for Edwards. But he has not been very active in recent years, and people have questioned whether he deserves the next shot at the title. If Edwards can maintain his title and defeat Covington, then he will be rightfully considered the king of the welterweight division.

Burns’ Path to the Title

Thus, Gilbert Burns, who defeated Brady, stays in the title talk. While Burns has already fought both Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad, who defeated him, his finish of Brady makes him competitive in the division. Burns’ next fight could be a title eliminator with Shavkat Rakhmonov or with Covington if he wins against Edwards.

A rematch with Belal Muhammad is also on the horizon. Both fighters have spoken about their ambitions of a shot at the belt in the past, but Burns’ recent form could make for an interesting second bout with Muhammad.

The Rise of Shavkat Rakhmonov

Shavkat Rakhmonov is one of the most thrilling and dangerous opponents in the division of welterweight. Rakhmonov has not tasted defeat in his professional career and has been quickly progressing through the rankings with eye-popping knockouts. This man is a great striker, a great grappler, and a great finisher; he is a fan favorite, and he is a title contender.

This fight between Burns and Rakhmonov could be the fight for the right to challenge the champion for the title. The two fighters are well rounded with great grappling and knockout ability, which makes this a great fight for MMA fans.

Belal Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev: The Wildcards

Belal Muhammad, who has a victory over Burns, is also another fighter in the welterweight division. Nevertheless, Muhammad still remained unrecognized, even if he has a long winning streak. His grinding style while being efficient has not made him popular among fans, and hitherto he has been left out of the title reckoning. But if Muhammad continues in the same vein and does not fight frequently, other athletes such as Burns and Rakhmonov can bypass him in turn.

There is Khamzat Chimaev, an undefeated fighter who joined UFC and quickly became one of the most dangerous fighters of the division. Chimaev has said he wants to fight at both welterweight and middleweight, and what his future at 170 pounds is remains to be seen. But if Chimaev goes back to the welterweight category, he is likely to cause more upset in the division.

Conclusion: How UFC Vegas 97 Changes the Welterweight Division

The UFC Vegas 97 event was a turning point in the welterweight division with Gilbert Burns’ TKO win over Sean Brady. The bout reestablished Burns as a contender and set a new landscape for the contenders and the division, in addition to giving the answer to the question about Sean Brady. Burns showcased his experience, his lethal finishing prowess, and his ability to stand up to the physicality of his opponent.

As the welterweight division changes, UFC Vegas 97 will go down in history as the fight that shaped the future of the 170-pound division. Possible opponents for him include Shavkat Rakhmonov, Belal Muhammad, and Khamzat Chimaev, which means the path to the title is not easy. However, one thing is certain: UFC Vegas 97 has without any doubt stirred the welterweight division rankings, and the next bouts will be interesting both in terms of rankings and possible title shots.