Clay Guida: I’ve Been In There With The Best
Two big name Featherweights will collide at UFC 164 in Milwaukee when No. 1 ranked Chad Mendes faces off against gritty No. 9 ranked Clay Guida.
Mendes, a former title challenger to Jose Aldo‘s long-held crown, has been on a tear as of late, finishing off Cody McKenzie, Yaotzin Meza, and Darren Elkins with three straight (T)KO wins. In a fight preview from the UFC, Mendes is happy to be fighting Guida because he believes “The Carpenter’s” main strength of wrestling to be his best attribute.
And he may be right, as the Team Alpha Male product has always been an effective takedown artist who’s now added a ton to his striking game thanks to new coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig.
Guida, a former Lightweight contender in his own right, refutes Mendes’ beliefs with the statement that he’ll see the best version of himself come August 31st. The long-haired energizer bunny recently made the cut down to Featherweight, defeating Hatsu Hioki via decision at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson earlier this year. There’s no doubt that he has shared the Octagon with some of the finest 155 lb. fighters on the face of the earth, but he’s drawn a lot of flack for his uninspired performance against Gray Maynard last year at June.
On the flip side, he even owns a win over current UFC Lightweight title challenger Anthony Pettis. Impressive work for sure, but will it be enough to trump the surging Mendes next weekend? Let me know what you think.
