Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida’s back-and-forth war from 2009 will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.
The news was announced during the broadcast of UFC 238 in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday night. Sanchez and Guida took center stage during the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale which took place at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas in June 2009. The three-round contest included a brawl to start things off, Guida getting dropped, ground exchanges and much more, as Sanchez eventually earned the split decision win.
In what was later named 2009 Fight of the Year, the contest will now be enshrined in UFC history.
“There are certain guys that, when you match them up, there’s no doubt in your mind that it’s going to be a good fight, and this was one of those fights,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “This fight represents everything that fans around the world love about UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts. Diego and Clay are two maniacs, and as soon as the fight began, they both came out blasting each other. It was crazy!
“This was an absolute war, and both guys gave everything they had for all three rounds. This fight was so good it was named the 2009 Fight of the Year. It is one of the best displays of heart, endurance and will to win that you will ever see. Congratulations to Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida on a fight that will always be remembered as one of the best ever.”
Sanchez and Guida Reflect
The win gave Sanchez his fourth consecutive victory at the time to earn him a lightweight title shot at BJ Penn.
“The fight with Guida was really fun,” Sanchez reflected. “My mentality was that it was time to get street on this wrestler and that’s exactly what I did!”
As for Guida, it ended a three-fight winning streak.
“When you take a rampaging beast like Diego Sanchez, and a wild Tasmanian devil like me, you get a recipe for Fight of the Year, and that’s what we gave UFC fans that night,” Guida said. “The fans were the true winners, and they deserved it more than anyone. Thank you for inducting this prolific battle into the UFC Hall of Fame.”
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place July 5 in Las Vegas at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort. Sanchez will notably face Michael Chiesa in a welterweight contest the next night at UFC 239.
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