UFC 328: Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley Preview & Prediction
A classic wrestler VS striker matchup with major welterweight ranking implications, as the high-level grappler Sean Brady takes on the explosive striker Joaquin Buckley.
Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley facts
What time are Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland? Prudential Center, Newark, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 328
What TV channel is UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland main card
Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland (Middleweight)
Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira (Flyweight)
Alexander Volkov vs Waldo-Cortes Acosta (Heavyweight)
Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley (Welterweight)
King Green vs Jeremy Stephens (Lightweight)
UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland prelims
Ateba Gautier vs Osman Diaz (Middleweight)
Joel Alvarez vs Yaroslav Amosov (Welterweight)
Grant Dawson vs Mateusz Rebecki (Lightweight)
Jim Miller vs Jared Gordon (Lightweight)
Roman Kopylov vs Marco Tulio (Middleweight)
Pat Sabatini vs William Gomis (Featherweight)
Baisangur Susurkaev vs Djorden Santos (Middleweight)
Clayton Carpenter vs Jose Ochoa (Flyweight)
Sean Brady: Elite Grappler looking to bounce back from his first stoppage loss in years
Sean Brady (18-2) enters UFC 328 trying to recover from arguably the most damaging loss of his career, a first-round TKO to undefeated Michael Morales at UFC 322 in November last year. That setback ended a stellar run that included landmark wins over Leon Edwards via guillotine and a decision over Gilbert Burns. The 33-year-old is one of the best grapplers in the division, chaining his takedowns well and showing elite control once he gets on top. His boxing has also improved, his work against Burns showed clean combinations, but his shots are mostly thrown with the arm rather than the full body, lacking the kind of pop that deters dangerous strikers.
Joaquin Buckley: Explosive knockout artist returns from a layoff with grappling adjustments in mind.
Joaquin Buckley (21-7) hasn’t fought since dropping a five-round decision to Kamaru Usman last June, a loss that snapped his impressive six-fight win streak. Buckley took the step of pausing his activity to spend 11 months working on his game, even joining his last opponent Usman to specifically address his grappling. Before the Usman fight, Buckley was on a tear, finishing Luque, Wonderboy, and Covington in succession. He fights from Southpaw, throws with knockout power in both hands, and has the kind of dynamic striking that creates angles only few fighters can prepare for.
Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley prediction
The odds do make sense on paper, Brady is a better wrestler at this point in time than Covington, and Usman exposed Buckley’s takedown defence over five rounds. But there’s still value on the underdog here. This is a three-round fight, not five, and Buckley can’t afford to wait for Brady to slow down the way Usman did in the final two rounds. He needs to be on the gas from the start.
Brady isn’t quite on the level of Usman as a wrestler, and his striking won’t pose too much a threat. In the fight against Morales, Brady was timid on the feet, threw up a high guard the moment he ate a clean shot, and folded once Morales started loading up. Buckley doesn’t have the size of Morales, but he hits hard as well, and Brady’s chin has now flashed warning signs in his two recent losses. If Buckley can take a patient approach, sets up his power shots and looks out for the takedown, the openings will be there.
Buckley should be mindful not to spend all his explosiveness scrambling out of bad spots or he’ll lose the power he needs to finish Brady on the feet. Two consecutive camps against pressure wrestlers in Covington and Usman, plus this third one, specifically with best welterweight wrestler of the modern era, has to count for something. Brady may have his moments and score takedowns, but the longer this stays standing, the more dangerous it gets for him. Decision No Bet on Buckley would be a safe play, but I do lean on a Buckley finish.
Prediction: Joaquin Buckley to win by KO/TKO
