Sean Brady-Joaquin Buckley to headline UFC Fight Night on April 25

• Brett OkamotoFeb 22, 2026, 03:03 PM

  Close

  Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

Multiple Authors

The UFC has booked a welterweight matchup between Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley to headline UFC Fight Night on April 25.

Officials announced the 170-pound contest on Saturday. The UFC Fight Night event will take place at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Brady and Buckley are the ranked Nos. 6 and 9 welterweights in the division, respectively — and both will be looking to rebound from high-profile losses their last time out.

Editor’s Picks

Brady (18-2) saw a three-fight win streak snapped in devastating fashion in November, when he suffered the second knockout loss of his career to Michael Morales at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden. Fighting out of Philadelphia, Brady had defeated Kelvin Gastelum, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards to put himself into title contention before the loss.

Buckley (21-7) was on the cusp of title contention last summer, when he came up short in a five-round decision to former longtime champion Kamaru Usman. The 31-year-old is still in a good position to make a run at his first title shot, however. He holds notable victories over Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson, and has recorded 15 knockouts in his 21 wins.