Sean Brady overwhelms Gilbert Burns in dominant 5-round win

Philadelphia's Sean Brady solidified himself as one of the top welterweights in the world on Saturday, outpointing Gilbert Burns in a five-round main event in Las Vegas.

Brady (17-1) defeated Burns (22-8) via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night inside the Apex. Brady, 31, maintained a steady pace throughout the five-round fight and dominated Burns in every aspect of the 170-pound contest. The judges scored it 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 for Brady.

The win improved Brady's mark in the UFC to 7-1. His only loss came to current champion Belal Muhammad in October 2022.

"He's tough as f---, but I feel like I did better work on the feet than on the ground," said Brady, who is known for his wrestling style. "He was tough to get down and strong against the fence. I should be ranked way ahead of [No. 7-ranked Ian Machado Garry ] now. Obviously, I want someone in the top five [next]."

Pace was Brady's friend on Saturday, as he maintained a steady volume of strikes and takedown attempts against Burns. According to UFC Stats, he outlanded Burns 251-71 in total strikes and attempted 17 takedowns to only six for Burns. He effectively worked his jab in the first half of the fight, and highlighted a fifth and final round with a steady diet of effective leg kicks.

Burns, who unsuccessfully challenged Kamaru Usman for the championship in 2021, struggled to get anything going over the 25-minute affair. He had a couple moments with boxing exchanges on the feet, including a right hand that appeared to stun Burns a little bit in the second round, but his moments were few and far between.

He also had a brief window of opportunity in the fourth round, when he nearly took Brady's back in a scramble in the final minute. Brady calmly defended the position though and went on to win the frame. Burns has lost three in a row -- to Brady, Jack Della Maddalena and Muhammad.

Muhammad does not have a title defense booked but is expected to face undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov next.