Sean Brady and Ian Garry Trade Barbs as Potential Title Eliminator Bout Slips Away

The welterweight division is on fire right now, with a wave of hungry contenders all eyeing their shot at gold. And it is safe to say that both Sean Brady and Ian Garry are right in the mix. The Irishman has been on a tear, recently delivering an impressive win over Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas. Before that, ‘The Future’ stepped in on short notice against the division’s boogeyman, Shavkat Rakhmonov, at UFC 310 and nearly pulled off a shocking finish in the fifth round.

Brady, meanwhile, made a statement of his own, dominating Leon Edwards at UFC London in a performance that firmly cemented his status as a top contender. With Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena set to battle for the title later this year, a clash between Brady and Garry would be the perfect way to determine the next man in line at 170 lbs. But for now, that matchup remains frustratingly out of reach. But why? This is because Brady believes that Garry is ducking him. 

Sean Brady Accuses Ian Garry of Avoiding Fights at UFC 319 and UFC Vancouver

The 18-1 juggernaut recently revealed that he was approached twice for a potential title eliminator fight with Garry at UFC 319 and UFC Vancouver Fight Night, but neither matchup materialized. Fresh off his dominant win over Edwards, the Philadelphia native is eager to secure his next challenge.

“I got a call from my manager right around International Fight Week, so at the end of June timeframe about me and Ian fighting in Chicago,” Brady shared on his Instagram. 

“I said yes. Didn’t hear anything for weeks. I’m assuming the UFC moved on.” He then explained that the UFC reached out again for a main event slot at UFC Vancouver, scheduled for October.

He revealed, “Recently, they hit us up and said me and Ian, main event in Vancouver. I said yes immediately. Immediately. Yes, let’s go. I’ve been wanting to fight since May and these are the only ones I’ve been offered. I said yes twice. Now, I don’t know why Ian’s f*cking dragging his feet or whatever he was doing.”

ALSO READ: Tyron Woodley Sounds Off on Jack Della Maddalena and Makhachev While Backing His Era of Welterweights

🚨 Sean Brady reveals him and Ian Garry were supposed to headline #UFCVancouver, but Ian Garry was ‘dragging his feet’ 😬

“Recently they hit us up, they said me and Ian main event, in Vancouver. I said yes immediately…

Ian was f***ing dragging his feet and now they put in RDR… pic.twitter.com/qdB7sx1UN0

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 20, 2025

Brady also voiced his frustration after seeing Reinier de Ridder and Alexander ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez booked for the card’s main event instead. “And now they put in (Reinier De Ridder) and ‘Fluffy’. Now once again, we’re sitting and waiting. So thanks, Ian. Just lost another main event because of you, my man.”

This is where things got heated. Ian Garry took to his Instagram stories to shut down the entire narrative, calling it a sham. His response, later shared by MMA Pros Pick, read:

“So woke up this morning, found out that I’m fighting Leon Edwards! That’s news to me. And Sean Brady said that I’m avoiding a fight with him. Do I need to argue my case on this, or does everyone already know that Sean Brady is full of sh*t?”

 

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The back-and-forth didn’t stop there. In the comments section, Brady fired back, insisting his version of events was true: “We have the same manager, I was offered to fight him in Chicago and then main event in Vancouver, why would I lie? I never said he was ‘scared’ of me, but the fight didn’t happen 2 times and it wasn’t bc of me.”

With Kamaru Usman back in the mix with a dominant victory over Joaquin Buckley and Belal Muhammad eyeing his return after losing his title at UFC 315, the title picture at 170lbs is getting some well-needed heat. And with top contenders like Brady and Garry waiting in the wings, JDM’s grip over the division’s crown could face some serious resistance in the coming months.