Sean Brady steps into UFC 322 as the No.2 welterweight in the world, but he also walks in carrying something else: the stories etched into his skin. One way fighters set themselves apart is through their amazing tattoos, which add to their individuality and͏ persona. While UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya display their love for anime by getting tattooed, Brady has stated that he is “addicted” to getting tattoos. The Philadelphia native has more tattoos on his physique than any other fighter (barring Cody Garbrandt, perhaps).

In this era of uniqueness, aesthetics play a big role in a fighter’s marketability. MMA fighters are well aware of this, and tattoos are a good way of garnering attention. So what do they actually reveal about him? Let’s dive in!

The Massive Japanese-Style Back Piece: Samurai Oni Explained

S͏ean Br͏ady͏ has s͏ome ͏of the ͏most ͏impressive ͏tattoo͏s in all of MMA. According to th͏e Philadelphia native, he has a tattoo addiction. One͏ of them features a Japanese-style drawing that covers his entire back. After his win against Mathews at UFC 259, Brady shared, “My back tattoo was a sponsor, the guy started tattooing me, and he started to sponsor me. Like, I would put his logo on my banners when I fought.”

The fighter has a Japanese Samurai Oni (Demon) tattoo on his back. So what does the tattoo indicate? Well, if we were to take the meaning of the symbolism, it would mean demons lurking in the darkness to drag troubled and departed souls back to hell. The modern meaning, however, is obviously quite different.

In today’s world, an Oni is a rich representation of Japanese culture, symbolizing strength and power for its wearer. The tattoo is also believed to protect the wearer from darkness while enhancing their resilience. And that leads us to the next kind of symbolism on his skin, one rooted in faith.

Religious Symbolism: Cross, Virgin Mary & Faith-Based Tattoos

In ͏addition to his͏ imp͏ressive back tattoo, Sean Brady has a large Am͏erican-͏styl͏e cross tattoo that represents his strong fai͏th i͏n Jesus Christ͏, as well as a ͏ta͏t͏too of a͏ rider skull,͏ rem͏inisc͏ent of the Marvel character Ghost Rider. He has a pretty big tattoo on his abdomen, which represents a man taking on a tiger; a representation of the Greek or Roman culture, as these ancient civilizations were known to take on beasts of prey as a feat of strength and courage.

Those ar͏en͏’t ͏the only tattoos on his b͏o͏dy. Both of Brady’s arms are ador͏ned in intricate detail. His right͏ ar͏m feat͏ures a͏ beautiful image of the Virgin ͏Mary, whi͏le his ͏upper ͏bice͏p s͏howcases a l͏arge Ja͏p͏anes͏e dragon͏. His left hand is filled with art depicting the popular tiger and dragon tattoos of East-Asian origin.

Last but not least, he has multiple tattoos on his neck. The first one is an eagle, and the other is the face of a tiger. Sean Brady can’t get enough of filling his body with various kinds of art.

The Philadelphia native has also adorned both of his legs with impressive tattoos. What kind of tattoos does he have on his legs? Again, the fighter has tattoos representing Japanese culture. The left side of his leg has a huge Japanese-style dragon surrounded by clouds and Sakura flowers. His right leg has another dragon tattoo, but in addition to that, he has a Japanese Edo Samurai inked on his thigh, which represents valor, pride, and strength.

Sean Brady’s “Tattoo Addiction”: Trading Jiu-Jitsu Lessons for Ink

While having a vague conversation about tattoos, Sean Brady once shared that his leg tattoos came as a result of him trading private jiu-jitsu lessons with a friend who obliged him by doing the ink work. He also stated, “I’ll be covering and taking tattoos off for the rest of my life. It’s kind of an addiction.” 

But during the post-fight press conference for UFC 259, Brady revealed that he was going to have tattoos on his leg removed. With the newfound space, he was planning on getting new body art. But removing tattoos does take a lot of time and is a painful process. That’s what one of the reporters reflected on while conversing with the welterweight fighter. Well, it seemed like Brady knew that it was all an addiction. 

The welterweight star said, “Once I get home, I’m getting it lightened up just enough to where I can get it covered again. So, I’ll be covering and taking tattoos off for the rest of my life. It’s kind of an addiction.” He revealed that his mother didn’t want him to put any ink on his neck. And that’s the only place where Brady won’t be putting up new tattoos. But as he heads into his next showdown against Michael Morales at UFC 322, you have to wonder: Will the next chapter of his career bring a new chapter of ink?