UFC president, Dana White has hit out at long-time lightweight contender, Clay Guida – after the veteran faked a retirement speech in order to land a post-fight interview with former two-weight champion, Daniel Cormier at UFC Fight Night Kansas City. Featuring at last night’s UFC Kansas City event in Missouri, Guida, a former Strikeforce lightweight […]
UFC president, Dana White has hit out at long-time lightweight contender, Clay Guida – after the veteran faked a retirement speech in order to land a post-fight interview with former two-weight champion, Daniel Cormier at UFC Fight Night Kansas City.
Featuring at last night’s UFC Kansas City event in Missouri, Guida, a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, slumped to a unanimous decision loss against Rafa Garcia in the main card opener of last night’s event.
However, following his judging defeat, the Illinois fan-favorite took off both his gloves inside the Octagon, with fans and pundits expecting a retirement from the veteran lightweight staple.
In joking fashion, however, Guida insisted that fans were not getting rid of him next – faking a retirement speech in order to score himself a post-fight interview despite his loss.
Dana White hits out at UFC veteran, Clay Guida
Taking umbrage with Guida’s actions, UFC leader, White admitted he was “pissed off” with the former’s decision to pull a hoax retirement.
“That pissed me off actually, to be honest with you,” Dana White told assembled media following UFC Kansas City. “No, that me pissed me off. I like [Clay Guida], he’s a nice guy, but you’re faking your retirement so you can say f*cking happy birthday to somebody?”
“We’re running a live event here, you know what I mean?” Dana White explained. “I was not happy about that. He [Clay Guida] was saying happy birthday to somebody or something. That was not good.”
Boasting a storied résumé, over the course of his UFC career, Guida, 41, has defeated three former division champions in the form of former two-weight champion, B.J. Penn, as well as former undisputed gold holders, Anthony Pettis, and Rafael dos Anjos.
Minting himself as the inaugural Strikeforce lightweight champion back in 2006, Guida landed a decision victory against Josh Thomson.
UFC featherweight contender, Chase Hooper turned in a spectacular submission win at Fury Pro 6 this weekend, clashing with long-time perennial lightweight contender, Clay Guida, snatching up a highlight-reel calf slicer stoppage. Hooper, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series following a decision win over 2018, spent time competing on the North American regional circuit […]
UFC featherweight contender, Chase Hooper turned in a spectacular submission win at Fury Pro 6 this weekend, clashing with long-time perennial lightweight contender, Clay Guida, snatching up a highlight-reel calf slicer stoppage.
Hooper, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series following a decision win over 2018, spent time competing on the North American regional circuit before making an eventual UFC bow back in December of that following year.
Just 23 years of age, Hooper recently featured at UFC Vegas 63 knockout loss to Steve Garcia back in October of this year, suffering his third loss under the promotional banner.
As for Guida, the former Strikeforce lightweight title challenger featured just earlier this month on the UFC Orlando card in the ‘Sunshine State’, scoring a split decision win over Scott Holtzman.
Sharing footage of his impressive submission win over Guida, Chase Hooper explained he was honored to compete against the former, whom he described as a “legend”.
Chase Hooper boasts a 3-3 UFC record from six Octagon walks
“Thankful to end the year on a high note doing something I love,” Chase Hooper tweeted. “It was an honor to compete against a legend and hopefully I put on a good show for everybody.”
3-3 during his six-fight Octagon tenure, Hooper holds wins over the trio of David Teymur, Peter Barrett, and Felipe Colares – the most recent of which at UFC Vegas 55 back in May of last year – earning him a Performance of the Night bonus.
38-22 as a professional, Guida has competed under the UFC banner since October 2006, and during his professional career, landed victories over the likes of Josh Thomson, Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Takanori Gomi, Anthony Pettis, Joe Lauzon, B.J. Penn, Michael Johnson, and Leonardo Santos.
Paddy Pimblett, one of the brightest young stars in MMA, is now 4-0 in the UFC’s Octagon. That looks like the recipe for a big step up in competition, but it…
Paddy Pimblett, one of the brightest young stars in MMA, is now 4-0 in the UFC’s Octagon. That looks like the recipe for a big step up in competition, but it…
Dan Hooker shared a reaction to rumours of him being matched up with Clay Guida next. As one of the more active fighters on the roster, Dan Hooker stayed on fight island last year to continue competing further when the UFC needed him, on a total of three occasions in 2021. Currently reeling off two […]
Dan Hooker shared a reaction to rumours of him being matched up with Clay Guida next.
As one of the more active fighters on the roster, Dan Hooker stayed on fight island last year to continue competing further when the UFC needed him, on a total of three occasions in 2021. Currently reeling off two consecutive losses to Islam Makhachev and Arnold Allen, Hooker has dropped four of his last five with a sole win coming over Nasrat Haqparast.
Dan Hooker reacts to rumoured Clay Guida matchup after being linked with Conor McGregor
Following an unsuccessful switch back down to featherweight, ‘Hangman’ will be looking to return to action at 155 lbs in his next outing. He was initially linked to a possible showdown with Conor McGregor. ‘The Notorious’ has been on the sidelines for over a year in recovery from a broken leg and has not solidified a comeback date yet.
Hooker was then rumoured to face Clay Guida in his next bout although no official confirmation had been announced. In an interview with The All Star MMA, Hooker drew a comparison between the two opponents as he reacted to the gossip.
“A month ago, I was fighting Conor McGregor. You know what I mean. How did I go from Conor McGregor to Clay Guida?”
“I like the fight. I think Clay Guida is like an absolute G. I think it would be an honor to share the cage with him. Absolute no idea what they’re talking about. My manager called me and was like do you have any idea what this Clay Guida thing is. I was like no. I’ll do it, I’m keen, but I’m keen for any fight.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Jorge Masvidal has been rallying for a shot at McGregor as well as the lightweight king Charles Oliveira. Michael Chandler also called out the Irish superstar and even offered to compete against him at 170 lbs. While no opponent has been confirmed yet, it likely will be once McGregor gets the green light to make his return.
Would you like to see Dan Hooker fight ‘The Notorious’ or Clay Guida next?
UFC lightweight prospect Claudio Puelles believes he made a firm statement in his latest outing, and one he believes should lead to “big things.” Puelles entered the Octagon for the first time in 2022 last weekend, providing one of the highlights of what was an entertaining UFC Vegas 52 card. In the co-main event, he…
UFC lightweight prospect Claudio Puelles believes he made a firm statement in his latest outing, and one he believes should lead to “big things.”
Puelles entered the Octagon for the first time in 2022 last weekend, providing one of the highlights of what was an entertaining UFC Vegas 52 card. In the co-main event, he shared the cage with veteran Clay Guida.
Now, with a second bonus-winning performance and the established name of a former Strikeforce champion on his résumé, the Peruvian believes he’s proven his credentials inside the Octagon.
Puelles Targets PPV Booking Next Time Out
During an interview with MMA News’ own Curtis Calhoun days out from his memorable triumph in Las Vegas, Puelles discussed what his 12th professional victory means for his career.
After suggesting that many doubted his ability to hang with Guida pre-fight, including his own compatriots, Puelles asserted that they now know he’s ready for “big things” in the sport.
“A lot of people, especially from Peru, they didn’t believe I could take on Clay,” said Puelles. “I proved to them that I can and that I’m ready for big things.”
What might said “big things” involve? How about a slot on pay-per-view next time out? Having missed the presence of his family during a trio of bouts inside the small-capacity Apex facility, Puelles is raring to make an arena walk.
“(My family) are very excited. I’m a little sad that they haven’t been able to watch my last three fights in person because they’ve been at the Apex,” noted Puelles. “But maybe I get a pay-per-view spot next time and they’re able to come out. So, I’m just waiting for that. Maybe I get a chance.”
Despite not having an opponent in mind, Puelles does have a return month on his radar. After putting his bonus money to good use and returning to his home country of Peru for the first time in over a year this summer, “El Niño” is hoping to continue his march up the UFC ladder in September.
“About opponent, I’ve gotta talk first with my manager. I cannot decide. But date, I was thinking—I don’t wanna rush it. I fought like four months ago. I fought in December and now I fought in April, so that was kinda fast. So, now maybe September,” Puelles told MMA News.
“I got the bonus, so that’s a little extra money. I gotta do a couple moves with that money now. Important things that I gotta do outside of fighting. So yeah, I think I’ll be ready to come back in September.”
Check out our full interview with UFC lightweight Claudio Puelles below:
Who would you like to see Claudio Puelles share the Octagon with next?
On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for UFC Vegas 52, the second of three consecutive cards booked for the Apex facility. While last weekend’s event brought with it huge implications for the welterweight title picture, this card certainly didn’t have the same at stake. However, what it did have was a former champion returning…
In the headliner, former UFC women’s strawweight titleholder Jéssica Andrade returned to 115 pounds after a trio of appearances at flyweight, which included a failed shot at gold. In her way of a return to the championship conversation was rising contender Amanda Lemos, who promised a Brazilian showcase in the UFC Vegas 52 main event.
With promising prospects like Claudio Puelles and Dean Barry, the returning names of Mike Jackson and Tyson Pedro, and the always-entertaining Clay Guida and Charles Jourdain all in action, the card promised to deliver some fun scraps, even if it did lack the UFC’s heavy-hitting names.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 52.
It’s always a negative when a matchup that had Fight of the Night written all over it doesn’t make it to the Octagon. On a card that was thinner than previous ones, that was especially painful when the flyweight clash between Manel Kape and Sumudaerji fell off the UFC Vegas 52 slate.
Like many, this was the fight I had my eye on. Kape, a former Rizin champion, rode a lot of hype from Asia and Europe when he crossed the Atlantic to compete in the UFC. While two decision losses stalled his start, consecutive first-round knockouts have since ascended him into the 125-pound rankings.
“The Tibetan Eagle,” meanwhile, has been in similar form, rising to #12 on the flyweight ladder with three straight victories, including a decision triumph over Zarrukh Adashev last time out.
With immense speed and skill, as well as 24 knockouts between them, their bout promised to be a barnburner. Unfortunately for fans, the contest was canceled in fight week when “Starboy” withdrew due to “personal reasons.” In a now-deleted tweet, the Angolan-Portuguese fighter suggested it was due to him being flagged by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the DHCMT Turinabol M3 metabolite.
The reasoning for Kape’s withdrawal certainly has the potential to be a negative in its own right. However, if Rob Font’s situation in 2021 proved anything, it’s that conclusions can’t be jumped to in these instances.
So, with that said, we’ll stick to the disappointment of fans missing out on a sure-fire flyweight banger.
Nothing sets the tone for a night of fights quite like two low blows, a deep eye poke, and a disqualification. The list of negatives from the opening bout of UFC Vegas 52 is endless, but I’ll group them together to save us all time re-visiting that horror show.
In one of the more intriguing matchups on paper, Ireland’s Dean Barry made his debut. The 29-year-old had a torrid time in 2021 with canceled bouts, and he didn’t fare much better when his fight with “The Truth” finally happened.
The first round was eventful, but for all the wrong reasons. After previously being warned about straying low with his kicks, Barry launched a vicious spinning strike to the gentlemen’s area, if you will. It wouldn’t be excessive to place it up there with the nastiest strikes south of the border in recent memory.
What better way to welcome Jackson, who hadn’t been in action since 2018, back to the cage than with a horrific low blow, followed up by a tough-to-watch eye poke? The term ‘poke’ is also generous. Gauge certainly wouldn’t be an over-exaggeration.
This was about as negative a result as anyone could have imagined. The debuting Barry saw his first foray on MMA’s biggest stage end in disaster, the returning Jackson saw his comeback end very differently than he’d have envisioned, and fans were given a terrible start to the event.
It might be hard to acknowledge a positive from the UFC Vegas 52 opener, but after last weekend’s shambolic technical decisions, the disqualification ruling was, well, a relief…
Not to bang the same drum as UFC Vegas 51, but the ‘intentional’ or ‘unintentional’ ruling is as baffling as Daniel Cormier’s knowledge of the scoring criteria. Last weekend, we saw Martin Buday and Caio Borralho walk away with technical decisions after delivering illegal shots that rendered their opponents unable to continue.
With that in mind, it was refreshing to see referee Chris Tognoni actually punish a blatantly illegal move. This time, a ruling that the move was intentional led to a DQ, while Dan Miragliotta’s differing conclusion to last weekend’s incidents took the bouts to the scorecards.
While I’ve added this as a positive, the inconsistency could easily have it as a negative. I’d also be hesitant to say Barry’s discretion was intentional, but that shouldn’t matter, and that’s the problem. Had Tognoni perceived the gauge to have been unintentional, which I don’t think would have been necessarily wrong, would that have prevented a DQ? It shouldn’t.
Ultimately, fighters are responsible for their weapons, and if they misuse them, resulting in their opponent being unable to fight on, why should they avoid being penalized?
I'm glad Chris Tognoni actually had the balls to call the DQ there. So many refs would have taken the easy way out and went with a No Contest. DQ was the right call after three fouls in the first round. -1500 favorite Dean Barry goes down, and MMA once again is wild. #UFCVegas52
Another positive to come from this was the quick transition from Cormier’s ‘no way the ref rules this a DQ’ to Joe Martinez reading out ‘by DQ’. Gold.
Negative – A Fight Day Cancelation
When Manel Kape withdrew, my main focus turned toward Alexandr Romanov. Imagine my joy when Brendan Fitzgerald brought us the news midway through the prelims that the Moldovan’s main card collision with Chase Sherman was off, owing to a “minor health issue” on the short-notice replacement’s side.
When it rains, it pours.
At 15-0 with 14 finishes, Romanov is about as exciting a heavyweight prospect as you can get. That status was enhanced when he submitted Marcos Rogério de Lima via forearm choke in 2020. While a technical decision victory over Juan Espino courtesy of a groin strike from the Spaniard, wasn’t ideal, “King Kong” reminded us of his potential when he finished Jared Vanderaa last October.
The first disappointment with Romanov’s scheduled fifth walk to the Octagon came when an intriguing fight versus Tanner Boser fell through. The Moldovan’s place on the card was initially saved by the returning Sherman, who’d only recently been released by the UFC, only for it to be struck off the event just hours before both were due to make the walk.
As well as the disappointment of missing out on seeing Romanov in action, it was also a negative to see Sherman miss out on a chance to bounce back with another opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage. Luckily, it appears he’ll be able to do so next weekend at UFC Vegas 53 instead.
Fight day cancelations are always a negative, but on an already-depleted and under-the-radar card, this one hurt.
BREAKING: Alexandr Romanov vs. Chase Sherman OFF due to a minor health issue to Sherman #UFCVegas52
Welcome to the Octagon win column Aoriqileng. It took three outings, but “The Mongolian Murderer” has finally lived up to his moniker.
At UFC Vegas 52, the 28-year-old shared the cage with England’s Cameron Else. Having fallen short in a war against Jeff Molina at UFC 261 and lost his sophomore outing to Cody Durden, Aoriqileng was in desperate need of a rebound performance on Saturday to avoid an 0-3 UFC slate that not many survive.
Not only did he record his first win in MMA’s premier organization, but he did so with something we don’t see too often: brutal body shots. We all love a knockout, but crumpling an opponent with a flush shot to the body must be similarly satisfying.
From the route to victory to the victor himself, this fight was a positive. The negative? An atrociously late stoppage from Keith Petersen. Given that I’m feeling generous, I won’t give the “No Nonsense” ref his own negative section, but it wasn’t good…
The leg kicks certainly did the damage and made it pretty clear where the result was headed, but after being sat down against the fence towards the end of the first round thanks to a chopping kick, it was a brutal right uppercut that sent the 38-year-old to sleep. The follow-up shots only added to what was a memorable return for Pedro.
Having not competed since 2018, it was great to see Pedro not only back in the Octagon, but doing what he does best: finishing fights. Now back on track, it’ll be interesting to see what’s next for “Kangaroo Paws” as he looks to make up for lost time.
How about that? Back-to-back guillotine chokes to open the main card from two Canadians known for their striking prowess.
First came middleweight Marc-André Barriault. After being moved to the main card thanks to a fight-day cancelation, “Power Bar” made the most of his late promotion, opening the five-fight main slate in some style.
Barriault’s clash with Jordan Wright was widely expected to come to a close relatively quick. But while that turned out to be the case, the Quebec native securing his first-ever submission victory certainly didn’t seem to be on the cards leading into UFC Vegas 52.
Soon after, exciting featherweight Charles Jourdain, who also hails from Quebec, said ‘anything you can do, I can do better’.
Following in his compatriot’s footsteps, “Air” brought the level of excitement that his bout with Lando Vannata was expected to bring, first on the feet, and then on the ground. After flooring “Groovy” with a sharp right hand, Jourdain attacked the neck with one arm and notched his first tap-out win in the UFC.
Jourdain is a black belt, and don’t you forget it…
The strawweight division is undoubtedly the strongest female weight class in the UFC. While the higher weights have two GOAT contenders in Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko, their dominance over the past few years, up until UFC 269 for the “Lioness,” has left the flyweight and bantamweight divisions largely uninteresting, and the featherweight roster non-existent.
The same can’t be said for the strawweight division, which has not only seen the gold change hands numerous times in recent years but possesses a host of competitive contenders. Joining champion Rose Namajunas at the top of the 115-pound ladder are Carla Esparza, Zhang Weili, Marina Rodriguez, Mackenzie Dern, Joanna J?drzejczyk, and Yan Xiaonan.
As if that group of elites needed more company, Jéssica Andrade announced her re-arrival at strawweight by jumping right back into the title conversation in the UFC Vegas 52 main event.
Not only did she return to the division with a win, but she did so in style, recording the first standing arm-triangle choke in UFC history. Andrade now boasts wins via strikes, slams, guillotines, body shots, and, now, a first-time standing submission.
If versatile had a human form, it would be “Bate Estaca.”
UFC featherweight contender, Chase Hooper turned in a spectacular submission win at Fury Pro 6 this weekend, clashing with long-time perennial lightweight contender, Clay Guida, snatching up a highlight-reel calf slicer stoppage. Hooper, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series following a decision win over 2018, spent time competing on the North American regional circuit […]
Dan Hooker shared a reaction to rumours of him being matched up with Clay Guida next. As one of the more active fighters on the roster, Dan Hooker stayed on fight island last year to continue competing further when the UFC needed him, on a total of three occasions in 2021. Currently reeling off two […]
