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Sean Brady has opened up about how deeply his first professional defeat affected him, admitting that his loss to Belal Muhammad left him devastated for months and eventually led him to seek help from a mental coach.
Brady (19-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) suffered the first defeat of his professional career when Muhammad stopped him by TKO at UFC 280 in October 2022.
The loss was particularly difficult for the Philadelphia native, who had built much of his identity around his unbeaten record. Muhammad would later go on to become UFC welterweight champion.
Speaking to Daniel Cormier, Brady admitted that before facing Muhammad, he genuinely believed he could finish his career without ever tasting defeat.
Brady: I thought my life was going to end
“I thought I was going to retire undefeated,” Brady said. “I really, truly thought I would never lose, and then obviously, I did lose. My whole identity was wrapped up in being undefeated.
“When I lost to Belal, it devastated me. I thought the world was going to burn down. I thought my life was going to end when I lost that fight. I was devastated for months. I started working with a mental coach because I was f*cked up.”
Brady revealed that the emotional impact of the defeat followed him well beyond the Octagon.
“I would be randomly driving and I would just start crying. I hate losing so much, I just hate it,” he said.
Brady still wants another fight with Muhammad
Despite the painful memories, Brady stressed that he has nothing but respect for Muhammad. However, he remains convinced that the result of their first meeting does not reflect how a rematch would play out.
“I have nothing but respect for Belal, but I still want to fight him because I know if we fight 10 times, I’ll beat him nine out of 10 times, but he just got me that one time,” Brady said.
“I need to fight him. I need to wrestle him. I need to do jiu-jitsu. I have to compete against him again. Nothing against him – for me.”
Brady bounced back after first career defeat
Brady responded strongly to the Muhammad setback, putting together three consecutive victories and working his way back into the UFC welterweight title conversation.
His momentum was eventually halted by undefeated Michael Morales, who finished Brady at UFC 322 and handed him the second loss of his professional career.
Brady did not stay down for long. He returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion in May 2026, producing a dominant performance against Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328.
The victory once again strengthened Brady’s position among the leading names in the UFC welterweight division, but the Philadelphia fighter has made it clear that one result from his past still bothers him – and he wants another opportunity to settle the score with Muhammad.
