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Tag: clay guida

  • Clay Guida Confirms UFC Departure After 37 Fights, 19 Years

    Clay Guida Confirms UFC Departure After 37 Fights, 19 Years

    Clay Guida has parted ways with the UFC after an incredible 19-year run with the promotion.

    Guida’s name was recently removed from the UFC’s online roster and he later confirmed the news in a heartfelt Instagram post.

    The lightweight veteran had been the longest-tenured fighter on the promotion’s active roster. It remains unclear whether his departure was due to a release or the expiration of his contract.

    In his statement, Guida expressed gratitude to his friends, family, training partners, and coaches, acknowledging their support throughout his career.

    “There is nothing I enjoy more than stepping into the octagon and fighting for our fans,” he wrote. “I am truly grateful to Dana White and his outstanding staff for giving a kid with average skills but above-average work ethic the opportunity to fulfill his dreams as a wrestler and mixed martial artist.”

    The 43-year-old emphasized that this is not a retirement announcement but rather a moment of gratitude and reflection.

    “This is simply a thank-you for now and a passing of my UFC torch to the next generation of warriors and wrestlers. We were built to last. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The best is yet to come! Straight to the top, because wrestling is life! Now let’s go fishing!”

    Guida made his UFC debut on October 14, 2006, at UFC 64, where he secured a victory over Justin James. Over his career, he competed 37 times under the UFC banner, facing some of the best fighters in the lightweight and featherweight divisions, including Nate Diaz, Benson Henderson, Kenny Florian, Brian Ortega, and Chad Mendes. His thrilling The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale bout against Diego Sanchez earned a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing in 2019.

    The veteran fighter’s final UFC bout was a submission loss to Chase Hooper in December 2023 at UFC 310. Reflecting on a career spanning 38 years in combat sports, Guida remains optimistic about the future and ready for his next chapter.

  • ‘The End Of An Era’ – Fans React As 37-Fight UFC Veteran Seemingly Removed From The Roster After 18 Years

    ‘The End Of An Era’ – Fans React As 37-Fight UFC Veteran Seemingly Removed From The Roster After 18 Years

    The UFC roster tracker accounts on social media have recently claimed that a staple of the promotion has departed after 18 years of competing inside the Octagon. Clay Guida made his UFC debut all the way back in 2006 where he submitted Justin James at UFC 64: Unstoppable.

    Guida had previously competed in Strikeforce, where he defeated Josh Thomson to become the lightweight champion before dropping the title to Gilbert Melendez, and the WEC but it wasn’t until he arrived inside the Octagon until he truly felt home. Guida has accumulated 37 fights under the UFC banner with an overall record of 18-19 in the promotion.

    “The Carpenter” holds the record for the most losses in the UFC history, along with other key statistics like the fourth most fights, fourth most takedowns, fifth most total fight time and second most control time. He’s also a member of the UFC Hall of Fame after his iconic bout with Diego Sanchez from 2009 was inducted into the fighg win in 2019.

    Though he has alternated wins and losses for many years, the 43-year old is currently coming off of three consecutive losses to Rafa Garcia, Joaquim Silva and Chase Hooper. After being submitted by Hooper in the first round at UFC 310 last month, Dana White called for him to retire alongside the likes of Chris Weidman and Anthony Smith who also suffered significant defeats on the same night.

    Fight fans reacted to the reports of Guida’s departure via social media:

    “The end of an era”

    “This is sad. I grew up watching him fight when our TV’s were still big boxes, I was probably about 11 years old. Clay lives locally to me and you’ll actually see him at the local bars quite frequently, I’ve met him quite a few times and he’s a cool ass dude.”

    “How they do him like that get the retirement video out NOW”

    “It’s time , enthusiasm isn’t the complete deal. Thanks for the great memories.”

    “Still today, if you want to introduce a new fan to UFC/MMA, Guida vs Sanchez is a goto. You are a legend @clayguida“

    “He deserved a big send off. Thanks for the memories Clay”

  • Chase Hooper On Clay Guida After Dana White’s Retirement Plea Post-UFC 310: ‘Didn’t Feel Like He Was As Hungry…’

    Chase Hooper On Clay Guida After Dana White’s Retirement Plea Post-UFC 310: ‘Didn’t Feel Like He Was As Hungry…’

    At UFC 310, Chase Hooper earned his fourth consecutive win in the lightweight division by beating a veteran of the sport in Clay Guida. His armbar in the first round saw him continue to put together the best run of his career to date whilst collecting a performance of the night bonus in the process.

    As for his opponent, some people (including UFC boss Dana White) believe that it is time for Guida to hang up the gloves. “The Carpenter” has fought 37 times inside the Octagon since making his debut with the promotion all the way back at UFC 64 in 2006. At 43-years old, Guida has lost his last three and his submission loss to Hooper saw him break the promotion’s record for the most losses.

    His 19th defeat saw him clear past Jeremy Stephens and Andrei Arlovski who were previously all tied at 18. In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hooper recapped his second win of 2024.

    Hooper also gave his opinion on whether Guida needs to step away at this stage in his career and though he admitted that everyone is different, he did think that there was a certain level of intensity missing from his opponent on Saturday night.

    “It’s one of those things where I honestly didn’t feel like, when we were in there, I didn’t feel like he was as hungry for the competition as I was and I think that’s a big piece. I think, I don’t know, I didn’t feel like he was really in there as much as he could be but I think he’s a guy that needs to get pumped up for the fight. I’ll never tell anybody to retire right, I don’t think that’s my business but, you know, what 37 fights in the UFC? I mean I damn sure won’t be doing that when I’m 42. I’d sail off into the sunset but that’s just me.”

  • Clay Guida Breaks Unwanted UFC Record After Tapping To Chase Hooper Armbar At UFC 310

    Clay Guida Breaks Unwanted UFC Record After Tapping To Chase Hooper Armbar At UFC 310

    Clay Guida broke an unfortunate UFC record in his first and final Octagon outing of 2024.

    The 43-year-old made his debut with the promotion all the way back in 2006 and has gone on to rack up 37 appearances, the most recent of which came against Chase Hooper on Saturday night at UFC 310.

    The last pay-per-view card of the year got off to a strong start with back-to-back first round finishes to kick off what should be a great night of action at the T-Mobile Arena.

    In Guida’s first-round loss to Chase Hooper in the second fight of the night at UFC 310, there were several excellent grappling exchanges between them in the opening few minutes. But after the younger lightweight was able to take his opponent’s back, he switched to a gruesome armbar and quickly secured the tap.

    Hooper previously submitted Guida with a calf slicer two years ago in a Fury Pro Grappling contest.

    In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, “The Dream” gave credit to Mikey Musumeci, who recently made his UFC Fight Pass Invitational debut.

    As pointed out by MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn on X, this third consecutive loss in his career sees Guida record one more defeat than former featherweight powerhouse Jeremy Stephens and heavyweight staple Andrei Arlovski, leaving him top of the pile for most losses.

    “The Carpenter” has already got his name listed in the UFC’s history books, but he probably won’t be too pleased about this particular statistic…

  • Bisping Wants Nate Diaz To Rematch Clay Cuida After Declining Chimaev

    Michael Bisping has an idea of who Nate Diaz should fight if he is not interested in Khamzat Chimaev.

    Diaz has been vocal about his disinterest in fighting the red-hot prospect Chimaev in the last fight of his UFC contract, despite this being the thing that the UFC is pushing for. He has spoken outright about not wanting to take this fight because he feels that the Chechen is not experienced enough in the UFC and is undeserving of the hype that has been put on him.

    If this is not the fight that the younger Diaz brother wants, then former middleweight champion and UFC commentator Michael Bisping has an interesting alternative.

    Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast, he was empathetic to the reason given for turning down the Chimaev fight and said that it would be great to see 209’s own face off in a rematch against Clay Guida, following “The Carpenter’s” comeback win over Leonardo Santos at UFC Vegas 44.

    “Khamzat [Chimaev], whilst showing the potential and being a potential contender down the line, isn’t a contender right now. And isn’t ranked in the top five so I don’t blame him for saying that. Clay Guida, if I am Nate Diaz, I would take that fight. I’m not sure the UFC would wanna do that fight, who knows,” Bisping said (h/t LowKickMMA).

    “I mean, Clay Guida is a fan favorite. Every time he goes out there, his brother slaps him. Of course, we know he burps all over the effing place as well. He’s a great guy, He’s had a great career. As I said, he’s in the Hall of Fame for that fight that he had with Diego Sanchez. Yeah, off it. Nate Diaz-Clay Guida 2. Fucking Clay deserves it. That would be amazing to see.”

    Michael Bisping makes a good point about how much fun a rematch between Nate Diaz and Clay Guida would be, especially considering it has been 12 years since their first fight, which ended as a split decision for Guida. That said, like Bisping noted, the UFC may not be too keen on making this fight happen.

    You can watch the full podcast with Michael Bisping below:

    https://youtu.be/YGzEY2CCUGI

  • Clay Guida Wants To Run It Back With Nate Diaz After Comeback Win

    UFC lightweight Clay Guida feels now is the perfect time to get a rematch against Nate Diaz after his improbable win at UFC Vegas 44.

    It was looking to be a disastrous night for Guida against Leonardo Santos after he got caught with some hard strikes on the feet and got dropped early in the fight. After somehow surviving some big blows to the head, he was able to grapple his way out of trouble and survive through the first round.

    Santos appeared to be gassed out entering Round 2, and Guida took advantage of the opportunity and sunk in a rear-naked choke for the comeback win. It snapped a recent skid of losses in three of his previous four fights.

    During his UFC Vegas 44 post-fight press conference, Guida said he still wants another shot at Diaz before their careers are over.

    “We just wanna stay on the gas pedal, stay active, and there’s still one dude out there with our name on him,” Guida said. “I beat him once, I’ll give him another chance. Nate Diaz, I know you’re out there. You can’t run, you can’t hide. I know you’re gonna turn the fight down, you probably won’t even know we want to fight you again. But if you ever want to do it again, buddy, I’ll give you a shot. Let me know.”

    Clay Guida Earned A Close Win Over Nate Diaz At UFC 94

    Guida has been a mainstay in the UFC’s lightweight division since he made his UFC debut back in 2006 at UFC 64. Coincidentally, his first UFC loss came against Din Thomas in 2007, and Thomas was part of the broadcast crew for his UFC Vegas 44 victory.

    Guida has fought most of the top names that have come through the lightweight division; including Diego Sanchez, Anthony Pettis, and Rafael dos Anjos. Despite his long career in the promotion, he has yet to fight for a title.

    Since their first fight, Diaz has emerged as a top star in the UFC and has recently focused on a run at welterweight. He most recently fell to Leon Edwards earlier this year at UFC 263.

    It’s unclear whether or not Guida still has it in him to make another title run, but Diaz is still searching for an opponent for his UFC return. A throwback matchup between Guida and Diaz could be the fight to make if both sides want to make it happen.

    Would you be interested in seeing Clay Guida vs. Nate Diaz 2?