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UFC on FOX 6 Interview: Clay Guida Promises to Blow the Roof Off the United Center During Featherweight Debut

(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

Before Clay Guida was a UFC star, appearing on television screens all across the world, he fought constantly in the U.S. Midwestern regional circuit. Often, he fought multiple times per month. He was a lightweight and the UFC didn’t even have a lightweight division at the time, to say nothing of the three divisions below it that they have since added. Clay fought in halls, bars — anywhere there was a tough guy and a crowd, really. His locker rooms were sometimes bathrooms and closets.

It was small-time, but the energy in those halls and bars would spike when Guida came out to fight. He was a spastic ball of energy from his walk to the cage and on through the fights themselves, and Clay built a fan-base in the area that raucously cheered for him and rabidly followed him.

On local MMA shows, fighters get paid very little, if anything, to fight. Promoters use the fighters to sell tickets, however, and then give a small percentage of the sales back to the fighters. Matchmaking at this level often takes who can sell tickets into heavy consideration. Clay sold a lot of tickets. And he didn’t exactly have a personal assistant or PR team to help him handle the transactions. Back in the day, Clay would hock tickets while training for fights, weigh in, show up on fight night, and then combine warming up with getting tickets to those of his friends and family that needed them.

Since joining the UFC in 2006, Clay has moved beyond fighting in smoky suburban Chicago rooms, but his fans often follow him around the country and world for his fights. If it wasn’t for the amount of work he puts in at the gym that reveals how serious he takes his job, you’d think life is just one big party for Guida. He enjoys having loved ones around him, and the more people that come out to support him, the better, because it makes the celebration afterwards that much more fun.

That said, all the attention and work that goes along with taking care of friends and fans can take a toll on a fighter and affect their energy and focus. There’s always another request for the fighter to fulfill as he prepares for battle, always another favor for him to do. As best as can be observed, Guida does all that he can with a smile on his face. He knew, however, that if he held his training camp back home because he was scheduled to fight in Chicago this Saturday at UFC on Fox 6, it would be a mess. Instead, Guida chose to stay in New Mexico and keep his camp there at Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn’s gym as he has the past few years.

“That’s why we’re out here in New Mexico,” Guida told CagePotato last week. “We’ve really got to focus. I love everyone back home and we’re going to have a great time there during the fight, but training camp needs to be just about preparing.”

(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

That Guida told us this while sitting in a desert, adds credibility to the idea that he’s committed to doing whatever it takes to become a champion. So is the drop in weight that he’s attempting for his fight against Hatsu Hioki on Saturday.

Guida has campaigned at 155 pounds for his entire career, despite being one of the smallest in the division. Coming off of two close decision losses to Gray Maynard and Benson Henderson — as good as it gets in the world at lightweight — Guida decided to lose ten pounds and try featherweight on for size.

“We want to see how it goes at 145,” Guida said.

The fighter seems to have a similar attitude as that of former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar when it comes to dropping down to featherweight. Edgar and Guida both walked around just a few pounds over the lightweight limit, while fighters like Maynard and Henderson reportedly push 190 pounds in between fights.

For years, everyone in the world but Edgar thought he should at least move down to featherweight, to get the chance to compete against men more his own size. “The Answer” didn’t like the idea, considering featherweight a demotion of sorts, before ultimately accepting a title fight against 145 pound champ Jose Aldo.

“I definitely see where Frankie was coming from” Guida sympathized. “He is one of the very best in the world at lightweight. People told him to drop down because he was small but why should he, if he’s doing so well at 155?”

Guida had to be convinced, and perhaps still needs to be, that featherweight was a better weight for him. His loss to Henderson was close, and the split-decision loss to Maynard was even narrower, so no one can blame “The Carpenter” for thinking he can still do good work at 155 pounds. Nevertheless, Guida is on a two-fight losing streak and might have a long time to go before getting rematches with the likes of Bendo and Maynard. So, he chose to diet and test the featherweight waters.

As a lightweight Guida didn’t care too much about how he ate because he burned up all the fat training like a maniac. “I would go get tacos and sushi after practice and then do it all again at night,” Guida remembered. “I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.”

To prepare for featherweight and Hioki, Guida has hired a nutrition coach and has only eaten with a purpose. For the past months, Clay has only put in good things and kept out anything unnecessary.

The result, he says, is pounds dropped without sacrificing strength and energy. “I didn’t want to drop to featherweight just by cutting water weight the day before the fight. We’ve been getting down in weight through diet. And I think I’m still as strong as I was before,” he said. “At least that’s what my training partners are telling me.”

Guida says that even though he’s stayed away from Chicago to prep for this fight, he’s eager to get out on the same floor that his beloved Bulls and Hawks play on at The United Center and party with his Second City family. Fans that have grown accustomed to Guida bouncing, screaming, and singing his way to the UFC Octagon before fights can expect the hometown hero to be extra hyped Saturday night.

“If they thought I was excited during my past walk-ins, wait until Saturday in Chicago,” Clay promised.

“We are going to blow the roof off that place.”

Clay Guida Looking Forward to New Start, Making Waves at 145 Pounds

Clay Guida made his UFC debut on October 14, 2006, when he submitted Justin James via rear-naked choke at the 4:42 mark of the second round. On Saturday, January 26 Guida will make what he referred to as a “re-debut” with the UFC when…

Guida is a veteran of the sport, having been a professional mixed martial artist since July 2003. While his official professional record is 29-13, he is approaching this fight on the UFC on Fox 6 card, as if his record were 0-0, which it is at the 145-pound featherweight limit.

The decision to drop to 145 pounds came after Guida found himself on the losing end of two consecutive decisions at 155 pounds. The first loss was a unanimous decision that went the way of now UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, while the second loss was a split decision to Gray Maynard.

Guida was bothered for some time about the Maynard fight and even though he claims that the loss is in the past, his words tell another tale—clearly that loss still eats at him, driving him in some way.

“That fight was in June, you’re going to see a more revamped, more energetic Clay Guida,” Maynard said in a recent interview. “I believe that I am one of the most improved lightweights, soon to be featherweights, in mixed martial arts. If you see my striking, it’s been pretty much pin point. I outstruck Gray, I outgrappled Gray, go down the list, I beat him everywhere except in the judges eyes, I’m beyond that now. It’s a learning experience and Hatsu Hioki is going to pay Saturday night for it.”

And while the loss to Maynard still seems to bother him, don’t think Guida is sitting around feeling sorry for himself.

“If I was hanging my head I wouldn’t be here right now,” Guida said. “You gotta pick up the pieces and move on. That’s not how I’ve come this far, that’s not what’s going to get me the featherweight title. People that hang their head seem to have a negative attitude and that’s not how I was brought up. I’ve moved on.”

Now that Guida has moved on from the Maynard loss and the lightweight division as a whole he can concentrate on moving up, which is something he seems intent on doing, saying “We’re going to make waves at 145—the best is yet to come.”

Note: All quotes obtained firsthand.

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Ranking the ‘UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson’ Fights by My Own Interest Level

(“Thanks Jay. Joining me now backstage is none other than…uh…wait a minute. You’re Anderson Silva’s son, right?”)

If you’ve been watching the NFL playoffs on FOX over the last couple weekends, you’ve surely noticed the frequent UFC promos throughout the broadcasts hyping a “World Title Fight” on January 26th between “Johnson and Dodson.” At no point is the word “flyweight” ever mentioned — because that would be a turnoff to casual fans, I guess? — and in most of the live promos I’ve seen, Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson‘s first names aren’t even included. Basically, they’re hoping that the mere promise of a “title fight” will be enough to lure some football fans into tuning in this Saturday night, even if those viewers have no idea who the headliners are, or what belt they’ll be fighting for specifically.

By sticking to the ironclad rule that a title fight will always get headlining-priority no matter who else is fighting on the card — a policy that previously drew some fan-criticism when Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche was given the UFC 157 main event spot over Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida — the UFC has painted themselves into a corner. Johnson and Dodson simply aren’t as well-known, marketable, or admired as some of the other fighters competing at UFC on FOX 6, namely Quinton Jackson, Donald Cerrone, and Anthony Pettis.

It’s a problem, because TV ratings and buyrates are so closely tied to who’s headlining each event. Instead of perhaps making Rampage vs. Teixeira or Cerrone vs. Pettis the headliner, the UFC is choosing to keep things vague (“world title fight!” “Johnson!”) and hope for the best. We’ll see if that proves to be the right decision, or if the ratings will plunge compared to the strong showing of UFC on FOX 5. I know the UFC wants to pump up its budding flyweight division, but I can’t help wondering if they’re doing themselves a disservice when there’s so little heat around that weight class. Could they re-consider their “championship fight always gets the main event” policy down the road?

Since I’ve been thinking about this lately, I’ve decided to present my own rundown of which fights I’m actually looking forward to this weekend. If you see things differently, please hurl some abuse at me in the comments section. Let’s begin…

(“Thanks Jay. Joining me now backstage is none other than…uh…wait a minute. You’re Anderson Silva’s son, right?”)

#1: Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis (LW, main card): It’s the rare combination of “guaranteed banger” and “legitimately important.” Two elite-level lightweights who are known for consistently thrilling fights face off to determine who’s possibly next in line on the contender ladder after Gilbert Melendez. As far as I’m concerned, this is Saturday’s real main event.

#2: Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira (LHW, main card): I’m not as drunk on the Glover kool-aid as some of you — at least not yet — but man, oh man, do I want Rampage to get creamed. I’m tired of the constant bullshit, and I just want this story to end — particularly with a savage KO that defies any post-fight excuse-making.

#3: Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas (FW, main card): I’m a big fan of Erik Koch, and it’s great to see him back after a 16-month layoff, trying to regain his place in the featherweight title picture. It’s also been interesting to see how Lamas has progressed from WEC mid-packer to undefeated UFC contender over the last couple years. My expectations are high for this one.

#4: Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson (FlyW, main event): As we learned in our first Databomb, finishing rates are strongly correlated to weight class — which should help explain why Demetrious Johnson hasn’t finished an opponent since 2010. And even though Dodson’s last flyweight match ended in a TKO against Jussier Formiga, everything that led up to that TKO was kind of awful. My relative lack of enthusiasm for this fight comes from the feeling that I already know how it will end: With Johnson earning a unanimous decision after five rounds that are so frantically-paced that the action becomes an undistinguishable mess of motion. And that’s what the UFC’s flyweight division has lacked for me, so far — the element of surprise.

#5: Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (LHW, FX prelims): Two wrestlers who are coming off losses, and will likely be throwing bombs at each other’s heads. The result might not have a big impact on the light-heavyweight division, but it’ll have a serious impact on the fighters’ careers.

#6: Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki (FW, FX prelims): I don’t expect a repeat of Guida’s much-reviled performance against Gray Maynard, but then again, Hioki hasn’t exactly been lightning in a bottle during his time in the UFC. The idea of Guida at 145 pounds is compelling, and he’s usually fun to watch, but I’m not expecting a Fight of the Night here by any means.

#7: Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan (HW, FX prelims): Russow, a full-time Chicago police officer, returns to the Octagon in a hometown appearance seven months after being wrecked by Fabricio Werdum in Brazil. We all know what this man is capable of.

#8: Matt Wiman vs. TJ Grant (LW, FX prelims): Grant is on a three-fight win-streak at lightweight, and Wiman pulled off a very unexpected and impressive submission of Paul Sass in his last fight. Sure, I’ll watch this.

#9 (tie): Mike Stumpf vs. Pascal Krauss, Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer (WW+MW, FX prelims): I don’t think I’d be able to pick any of these guys out of a lineup. I know that Krauss is German, and that Sean Spencer is a first-timer — and that’s about the extent of my commitment to these fights.

#11: Simeon Thoresen vs. David Mitchell (WW, Facebook prelim): I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched a Facebook prelim. It’s been a while. That’s not going to change this weekend.

(BG)

7 Fighters Who Could Fade Away in 2013

Brock Lesnar burst onto the scene. He was the most feared man in the UFC, he was the future of pay-per-view and everyone in the world was waiting to see what would happen next. Then, he lost, got injured and faded away.There comes a time every year whe…

There comes a time every year where we find ourselves wondering, “What the heck happened to so-and-so?”

Were they outmatched in their fights? Did they get banged up? Or like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, was it just their time to go?

It seems like all fighters fall victim to at least one of three things at the end of their career: time, injuries or a string of bad luck. Regardless of which one of the three it is, it’s inevitable that every year we unofficially have to say goodbye to fighters who run the risk of no longer being relevant in a division. Sure, we’ll catch them on an undercard again and maybe even the first fight of a UFC PPV, but their days of headlining are over.

Here are the top seven fighters that could fade away in 2013.

Begin Slideshow

Clay Guida: Can ‘The Carpenter’ Make Some Noise at Featherweight?

Clay Guida’s 29-13 record marks him for little more than a journeyman, but his output since 2009 suggests he’s primed to challenge for UFC gold at long last.Between 2009 and 2012, Guida amassed a 5-4 record in the UFC lightweight division. Pretty ordin…

Clay Guida‘s 29-13 record marks him for little more than a journeyman, but his output since 2009 suggests he’s primed to challenge for UFC gold at long last.

Between 2009 and 2012, Guida amassed a 5-4 record in the UFC lightweight division. Pretty ordinary, I know. But a look at “The Carpenter’s” competition during that period reveals why his impending drop to 145 pounds could produce big results in 2013.

Over his past nine contests, Guida has defeated Nate Diaz, Shannon Gugerty, Rafael Dos Anjos, Takanori Gomi and Anthony Pettis.

His losses during that time have come against Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard. That’s a formidable list even if the Maynard scrap was ugly, especially considering each fighter on it either earned a title shot with their win over Guida or entered their fight with him coming off a championship bout.

That not only means Guida has faced a gauntlet of the absolute best the UFC’s toughest division has to offer, but he’s also taken on the best of the best while each opponent was at or near the zenith of his career.

At 145 pounds, there is nothing Guida hasn’t seen. The top of the division is similarly talented to lightweight, but it is considerably less deep. That means a loss to one of the division’s best at the pinnacle of his career doesn’t mean a trip to the back of the line. It just means a minor setback.

And minor setbacks are something that—at this point—cannot stop Guida from getting a UFC title shot.

Can you see Erik Koch, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas, Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki, Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung beating Guida? Potentially, right? But can you see that lot running through him and consistently keeping him out of the win column? Probably not.

Not when he’s used to bigger but equally talented guys like Maynard and Henderson. And not when his wrestling will standout more at 145 pounds where fewer wrestlers dwell than at lightweight.

The experience Guida has amassed against the cream of the crop at 155, his newly found size advantage and his powerful, relentless wrestling attack make him a legitimate threat in his new featherweight home.

Whether or not he can dethrone the likes of Jose Aldo is questionable. But there is no question that he fits right in with the division’s elite. There is also little question that he will earn a title shot.

2013 will be a big year for Guida as he looks to make his mark at 145 pounds. And this year, expect his record to more aptly reflect the level he has been competing at since 2009.

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The UFC Featherweight Division Rises in 2013

With a quick look at the UFC’s schedule for 2013, it becomes clear the organization has every intention to fire out of the gates in the new year throwing heavy leather. With the past 12 months marred by injury, bout changes and an entire card being cancelled, the UFC is looking to bounce back in impressive fashion by rolling out a first-quarter lineup filled with high-profile matchups featuring a handful of the sport’s biggest names.

While the promotion’s superstars will rightfully draw the lion’s share of the attention, the current schedule has created an interesting opportunity for an entire weight class to make a long-overdue impact with the UFC fanbase.

Since the WEC merged with the UFC in 2010, the featherweight division has sat idly at the bottom of the promotion’s deck. Save for current champion and pound-for-pound candidate Jose Aldo, the weight class has failed to establish itself as a “must watch” division. But the tides of change are swirling, and suddenly there is a group of potential contenders looking to scrap their way into the title picture.

The collective is a mixture of veterans, prospects and a former lightweight champion. If said fighters continue to bring the same brand of ruckus they brought to the Octagon in 2012, by the end of the coming year, the featherweight division could not only put itself on the map in the UFC, but produce several stars in the process.

Contenders in the Making

With the way the current schedule is lined up, the 145-pound divisional picture is going to become hectic in a hurry. While former No. 1 contender Chad Mendes and rising prospect Dustin Poirier both finished 2012 with strong performances, the remaining fighters in the Top 10 will all see action in the coming months.

On January’s UFC on Fox 6 card, Duke Roufus protege Erik Koch will face Ricardo Lamas. While “New Breed” was originally slated to face Aldo in the main event of UFC 153, injury ultimately forced him out of the fight, and with Frankie Edgar dropping down and stepping in to fill his place, the 24-year-old watched his title shot become nonexistent.

When Koch steps into the Octagon in Chicago, it will be his first appearance in over a year, but prior to the injury that forced him out of the Aldo fight, the Milwaukee-based fighter had put together four consecutive victories.

While Koch has garnered acclaim for his potential, Lamas has been somewhat of a silent assassin in the featherweight division. The Chicago native has won all three of his fights under the UFC banner, with his most recent victory coming in impressive fashion as he upset highly touted Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki at UFC on FX 4. The win over Hioki put “The Bully” on the radar for title contention, and with Koch’s previous title shot taken away by circumstance, it would come as no surprise if the winner of this bout is awarded the next title shot.

Another fighter who has put together a banner year is Jackson-Winkeljohn trained fighter Cub Swanson. The longest-tenured featherweight on the Zuffa roster experienced a career resurgence in 2012, as he earned victories over George Roop, Ross Pearson and Charles Oliveira. All three victories came by way of knockout, and in the process of doing so, Swanson solidified himself in the conversation of top contenders in the featherweight mix.

Despite the California native campaigning for a bout with Chan Sung Jung, “The Korean Zombie” has yet to return from injury and Swanson’s next bout with come against Dennis Siver at UFC on Fuel TV 7 in February.

Since dropping down to featherweight, the 33-year-old Siver has looked like a man possessed. The German-born fighter has earned lopsided decision victories over Diego Nunes and TUF alum Nam Phan working behind a high-output attack and powerful strikes.

When Siver was competing at 155 pounds, he was one of the division’s more muscular fighters, but at featherweight he is a monster. Typically muscle-heavy fighters tend to have endurance issues as a fight carries on, but Siver‘s two showings in the 145-pound weight class have been to the contrary, as he’s poured on the offense from bell to bell on both occasions. With Swanson vs. Siver guaranteed to be a violent tilt, it is also possible the winner could find himself in the No. 1 contender’s chair.

Another noteworthy clash at the UFC on Fox 6 card in January will feature former lightweight contender Clay Guida as he makes his UFC featherweight debut against Hioki. With both fighters coming off losses, the bout carries no title implications, but the outcome will determine which fighter stays in the hunt of an increasingly competitive division.

Guida has competed for years as an undersized lightweight, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against fighters his own size. “The Carpenter” is coming off a poor performance against Gray Maynard where his typically fan-friendly fighting style was anything but. A win over an opponent of Hioki‘s caliber will put the Chicago native on the fast track to the division’s upper tier.

The Non-Superfight Superfight

While the rest of the pack scraps it out to see who is going to fill out the “next” position, the one featherweight clash the MMA world is salivating for will come at UFC 156 when Aldo defends his title against Edgar. After the initial meeting was scrapped due to Aldo’s injury in late September, the UFC decided to keep the pairing intact and reschedule for a later date.

It has been seven years since the 26-year-old Brazilian suffered the lone loss of his career, and over that time, “Junior” has collected a 14-fight win streak. With remarkable speed and accurate striking, the Nova Uniao product has outshone the opposition on every occasion. His natural talent and abilities have earned him the respect of being one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best and have garnered comparisons to the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Anderson Silva.

Those are lofty expectations to live up to, but Aldo has shown no signs of such things being too burdensome to carry. The only knock to Aldo’s reign has been the level of competition he’s faced, and if he can defeat an opponent as accomplished as Edgar, the GOAT talk will certainly increase.

The picture looks a bit different from Edgar’s perspective. One year ago, the Toms River native was the reigning lightweight champion, but after two razor-thin decision losses to Benson Henderson, “The Answer” suddenly found himself on the outside of title contention in the ultra-competitive division he once championed.

Edgar had been receiving pressure to drop down to the featherweight division for years, and following his second loss to Henderson, the former Clarion University standout wrestler decided it was time to make the move.

Should Edgar be the first to solve the Aldo puzzle, he will join a small group of fighters who have accomplished the difficult task of earning titles in two different weight classes. On the other hand, if Edgar falls short against the Brazilian phenom, a third consecutive loss would do major damage to his relevance in the sport. While I can’t see a loss to Aldo costing Edgar his job with the UFC, for a fighter as proud and talented as Edgar has proven to be, it would put him in limbo.

Over the next two-and-a-half months, all of the lingering questions will be answered, and it’s quite possible that those answers will come in exciting fashion. If this proves to be the case, 2013 will be the year the featherweight division finally gets its due.

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