SUMMARY
- Tom Brady talked about Sean Shelby, which took everyone by surprise.
- Recently, Alexander Volkanovski met up with the NFL legend Tom Brady.
Tom Brady is one of the greatest of all time when it comes to the NFL. However, he can also be a man of many surprises. With that said, what Tom Brady had to say about Sean Shelby will likely catch a lot of people off-guard.
Recently, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski met up with Tom Brady. As it turns out, the two-star athletes were well aware of each other and had a lot of mutual respect. During their meeting, the two exchanged a lot of words, threw a ball, and even had a nice tête-à-tête.
Notably, during their interaction, Brady said, “In fact, I don’t know if you know this but my cousin, has worked with Dana White. Do you know Sean Shelby? So, Sean is my first cousin. So Sean used to take me to fights when I was this big, so I’ve been watching UFC forever, and love you and everything you do.” Further, Brady went on to add, “You have no idea, in fact in our locker room, we all would sit there and watch all your fights”.
Just like a lot of viewers, many were left stunned by Sean Shelby’s family ties with Tom Brady. As such, even Volkanovski cut a rather astonished figure upon hearing about it. Although a lot of people may not be aware, UFC President Dana White also spoke about it in 2016. At the time, Brady and other high-profile celebrities invested in the UFC. It was here that White first revealed that Shelby was Brady’s first cousin.
Sean Shelby and his role in the UFC
As many may already be aware, Sean Shelby is the matchmaker for the UFC. Notably, he came into his role after the departure of Joe Silva in 2016. Currently, Shelby is the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations at the UFC. As such, he overlooks the matchmaking responsibilities of the numerous weight divisions in the UFC alongside Mick Maynard.
Prior to his role as matchmaker, Sean Shelby reportedly worked as an executive for the UFC for 14 years. Thus, his decades of hard work have paid off, and he is definitely reaping the benefits. Now, both Maynard and Shelby, along with UFC president Dana White, have an important role to play when it comes to setting up matchups and deciding the fighters on a particular card.
Additionally, Sean has often stepped up in the absence of Dana White during PPV events as the one standing between the fighters during their faceoffs. Other than that, he is a regular during Fight Night events and has become a beloved figure in the company for the most part. Previously, Shelby also went viral for his rightfully puzzled look after a split draw decision at Noche UFC in 2023.
All things considered, Sean has a vital role within the company and is one of Dana White’s most trusted lieutenants. Be it his work during fighter faceoffs or his duties as a matchmaker, Shelby deserves a lot of credit for putting on some of the best fights over the years. Considering that he is also related to Tom Brady, it would seem that excellence runs in the very lifeblood of their family.