The third fight on the UFC 322 Main Card is a Welterweight contest between No. 2 Sean Brady vs. No. 8 Michael Morales. Brady enters this fight with an 18-1 record coming off a victory against former champion Leon Edwards in March. Morales, 26, is six years younger than Brady and has a perfect 18-0 record in his MMA career.
Here is my prediction for Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales at UFC 322.
Sean Brady Moneyline (-135)
This matchup features two fighters who are extremely talented, but at different stages of their careers. Brady is on the verge of earning a title opportunity as he has wins over two former title challengers, Kelvin Gastelum and Gilbert Burns, while also beating former 170-pound king Edwards.
Morales is a rising star who recently beat Burns and Neil Magny by first-round knockout. With Brady nearing his 33rd birthday, he can’t afford to add another loss to his resume in a supremely stacked division. This is a traditional striker vs. wrestler matchup, as we have seen many times in the past in the UFC.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the odds are very close as well, with Morales being a +114 underdog as Brady is a -135 favorite. This contest is -135 to go the distance and +105 to end before the scheduled 15 minutes.
Morales is 6-0 in the UFC and has destroyed everyone in his path since joining the top MMA promotion. His skillset is phenomenal, with his unbelievable striking ability and elite takedown defense. At Welterweight, Morales has physical advantages over most fighters, as he stands at 6’0″ and has a 79″ standing reach.
In the UFC, Morales has beaten Magny and Burns in the last 15 months, but Brady is on another level than those two. Brady’s best skill is his ground game, which is among the best at 170 pounds. He averages 3.62 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands his attempts at a 54 percent rate. Brady only has three more fights in the UFC than Morales, but he has faced much tougher competition.
Since being knocked out by Belal Muhammad three years ago, Brady bounced back perfectly with two submissions in his last three fights. Although Morales hasn’t been taken down a ton in the UFC, Brady has a relentless takedown attack that could be the difference maker in this contest.
