Clay Guida: I will not stop until that title is mine (Interview)

Clay Guida will be headlining the upcoming UFC on FX 4 card with top lightweight contender Gray Maynard in Atlantic City on June 22. Both fighters are coming in off of a loss. Guida’s loss was at the hands of current champion, Benson Henderson; Maynard’s to Frankie Edgar.  The winner of this fight should go on to a title shot against the winner of the Henderson-Edgar rematch at UFC 150 this August.

Lowkick.com had a chance to speak with Guida about his upcoming fight in Atlantic City against Maynard.

For the better part of a decade, Guida has gone with the nickname of “The Carpenter”. Although he earned this moniker from his former trade as a carpenter while he was and up-and-coming fighter, it can seem appropriate for his training program with Jackson-Winkeljohn at this point in his career: 

“Training for my fight against Maynard is going great. I’ve focused a lot more on fixing holes in my wrestling game with my wrestling coach Israel Martinez. We brought in a few D1 wrestlers to push me. I absolutely think that Gray Maynard is at the top of the division with Ben (Henderson) and Frankie (Edgar). As one of only 2 fighters to defeat Frankie, and having one of the best trilogies in MMA history, he is still at the top. I also believe that finishing Gray Maynard puts me right back in the mix as a top contender in the lightweight division after coming up short against Ben Henderson. I’ve never been much for predictions, but don’t be surprised to see me get my next UFC victory by TKO over Gray Maynard.”

In light of Guida’s five “Fight of the night” bonuses, he thinks that number 6 could be coming up fast: “All I can say is it’s going to be 5 rounds of fun and I’ve come a long way since Gilbert Melendez. Every time a competitor like Gray Maynard or me steps in the octagon, ‘Fight of the night’ is always a possibility.”

After more than 40 professional MMA bouts, Guida says his secret to his never-ending passion for the sport: “(It) comes purely from the love of competition and pushing myself to extreme measures to become the absolute best I can be. I haven’t accomplished anything in this sport yet. My quest for knowledge and desire to become the lightweight champion are stronger than ever before, and I won’t stop until the Title is mine!”

In addition to his love of competition and quest for self-improvement, Guida has long been a fan-favorite in the UFC. The lightweight contender had nothing but thanks and praise for his trainers and his fan-base attributing their support to his success: “I would like to thank my coaching staff at Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA including Brandon Gibson, Mike Valle, and my wrestling coach Israel Martinez for preparing me for battle, as well as all my training partners. Every fierce competitor knows that no one can be successful in this sport on their own. I also want to thank my management team at VFD Sports. As always, I would like to personally thank all my loyal fans who have been there through the wins and losses in my career. Without you, there is no reason to compete. Thanks for all your undying support as we get one step closer June 22nd. It’s going to be an amazing fight!”

UFC on FX 4 takes place Friday, June 22 at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will air on FX at 9:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. PST.

Feel free to follow Clay Guida on Twitter @ClayGuida.