TUF 13 Finale Recap: Guida turns Showtime into No-time

The last WEC Lightweight champion of the world Anthony “Showtime” Pettis finally made his long awaited UFC debut against Clay “The Carpenter” Guida at the TUF 13 Finale. Fresh off his “Showtime Kick” victory against Ben Henderson, the Mixed Martial Arts world was buzzing with anticipation to see how the former champ would do again one of the UFC’s best. Both fighters have very unorthodox and unpredictable styles that would clash in this bout, but in the end Guida’s brand of fighting seemed to be superior.

From the first to the very last round, Clay Guida showcased his signature unorthodox movement mixed in with his wrestling background. Both men put on a grappling clinic but it was Guida’s explosive takedowns and solid ground game that cost Anthony Pettis the fight. Pettis was able to showcase his trademark kicks and a good game off his back, but neither were good enough to even win himself a round according to the judges.

With this unanimous decision victory over Anthony Pettis, I think it’s safe to say that Clay Guida is in the title picture. With other Lightweights like Jim Miller, Gray Maynard, and possibly Gilbert Melendez making the jump to the UFC, the division looks stronger than ever. When Frankie Edgar comes back he will have his hands full. If he could get past Gray Maynard when he returns from injury, these guys will be waiting in the shadows for their shot at glory.

Questions after seeing Guida vs. Pettis:

-How many more fights does Guida need to win to get his shot at the Lightweight strap?

-Does Team Roufussport need better wrestlers in it’s camp to help prepare their fighters?

-Who should Pettis fight next?

Notes from TUF 13 Finale:

-Tony Ferguson showed off a much improved all-around skillset against Ramsey Nijem. We didn’t see much of Tony’s wrestling on the show, but he did a wonderful job showcasing it at the Finale. I was also very impressed with Tony’s movement and his striking was crisp as usual. It’s obviously too early to say if he could make a dent in the Welterweight division in the UFC, but I’m going to keep an eye out on him when fights again next.

-My job dropped when I saw Ed Herman demolish Tim Credeur. Credeur ate a very clean uppercut while Ed Herman had him in a one-handed clinch. That sent Tim into sleep mode and he ate a few more punches on the ground as well. I don’t know what is next for Ed Herman, but that finish for sure will put him on a PPV main card in the future.

–Kyle Kingsbury displayed some solid wrestling ability and an improved Muay Thai clinch game agaisnt UFC newcomer Fabio Maldonado. Long time fans I’m sure are familiar with Kingsbury’s wrestling, but we should get familiar with Fabio’s impressive boxing. Even though he didn’t win the fight he had some wonderful body shots while in the Muay Thai clinch. Fighting in the clinch that way, not very wise in my opinion. But if he could just continue to improve, he could be somebody to watch out for as well.

-Chris Cope’s standup is much improved and he showcased some wonderful unorthodox techniques in his fight against Chuck O’Neil. Why Chuck with his BJJ background choose to stand with Chris makes no sense to me, but Chuck needs to really go back to the drawing board, and focus on what brought him to this point in the first place.

Lowkick.com TUF 13 Finale main card awards:

Fight of the Night – Even though Clay Guida took the unanimous decision victory against Anthony Pettis, it was a wonderful ground battle and grappling clinic. Pettis had his creative kicks and submission attempts. Guida with his wrestling and shoulder thrusts. This fight earns our fight of the night honor.

Performance of the night – Chris Cope wasn’t taken very seriously in The Ultimate Fighter house, but his performance against Chuck O’Neil should earn him respect. O’Neil was dominated with far superior striking from his own. Props to Chris for showcasing his brand of spinning back kicks and fists.

Finish of the night – Ed Herman‘s knockout victory over Tim Credeur in 0:48 seconds. I’m pretty sure Tim was seeing stars or flying birds after eating that uppercut.

Disappointment of the night – Anthony Pettis‘ UFC debut was surrounded by hype. Many were expecting (including myself) tonight to be Showtime’s coming out party. He had no answers for Clay Guida‘s explosive takedowns and wrestling. Anthony is only 24 years old and will get improve with time, but tonight he is the disappointment of the night for his lackluster performance.

Photo: MMAWeekly.com