On Sunday evening, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a couple of bouts for an upcoming UFC on FX 4 event, expected to take place this June.
Headlining the show, in a five-round non title bout will be lightweights Clay ‘The Carpenter ‘Guida (19-12) and Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard (10-1-1, 1NC).
UFC on FX 4 is expected to take place on June 22, 2012 in Atlantic City at an unnamed venue. Both fighters have verbally agreed to meet on the televised main card.
Guida lost a No. 1 contender bout to Ben Henderson last November, losing a unanimous decision to the new champ. The defeat was the first for ‘The Carpenter’ after four straight wins which included victories over Anthony Pettis, Takanori Gomi, Rafael dos Anjos and Shannon Gugerty. Guida finds himself with a 9-6 record in the Octagon since moving over from the WEC.
Maynard also enters the bout on a loss, having been KO’d by Frankie Edgar in their rematch last October at UFC 136. It was the first loss ever for ‘The Bully’ who had won ten straight for a shot at the UFC title. He and Edgar met at UFC 125, fighting to a split draw, forcing the rematch. The bout would have to be rescheduled for UFC 136 after both fighters pulled out of an expected May date due to injury.
I’d want to call this bout a No. 1 contender bout, but with the UFC’s lightweight division so messed up a win for either fighter only moves them one more fight closer to the belt instead of a direct shot at the title.