Philadelphia’s Sean Brady cemented his position as one of the best welterweights in the world on Saturday by defeating Gilbert Burns on points in a five-round main event in Las Vegas.

Brady (17-1) defeated Burns (22-8) by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Apex. Brady, 31, kept a steady pace throughout the five-round bout and dominated Burns in every aspect of the 170-pound contest. The judges scored it 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 for Brady.

With this win, Brady improved his record in the UFC to 7-1. His only loss came in October 2022 against current champion Belal Muhammad.

“He’s tough as hell, but I feel like I worked better standing up than on the ground,” said Brady, known for his wrestling style. “He was hard to take down and strong on the fence. I should be way ahead of (No. 7 Ian Machado Garry) now. Obviously I want someone in the top five (next).”

Pace was Brady’s friend on Saturday as he delivered a consistent number of strikes and takedown attempts against Burns. According to UFC stats, he out-punched Burns 251-71 and attempted 17 takedowns while Burns managed just six. He used his jab effectively in the first half of the fight and capped off the fifth and final round with a consistent dose of effective leg kicks.

Burns, who unsuccessfully challenged Kamaru Usman for the championship in 2021, struggled to get anything done in the 25-minute affair. He had a few moments of standing exchanges, including a right hand that seemed to stun Burns a bit in the second round, but his moments were few and far between.

He also had a brief window of opportunity in the fourth round, when he nearly hit Brady’s back in a scramble in the final minute. Brady, however, calmly defended his position and won the round. Burns has lost three in a row – to Brady, Jack Della Maddalena and Muhammad.

Muhammad is not scheduled to defend his title, but is expected to face undefeated challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov next.