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This Saturday at the Ultimate Fighter season Nine Finale in the main event Clay Guida takes on Diego Sanchez in a bout that could lead the winner straight to a title shot. In this Bighouse exclusive Clay shares his thoughts on Diego, talks about his toughest opponents, and clears that air on why he is not in the UFC Undisputed video game. All this and much more in this must read interview. by Jonathan Brown JB: How’s training going for your fight with Diego Sanchez? CG: Training is going great man! We have been training for almost three months. We have taken all the necessary steps. We did all the proper training: striking, worked with the proper training partners, big guys, small guys, so training is going very well man.
CG: He definitely looked thin this which is good for a fighter. I think the drop against me is going to be a tough one for him. Joe was kind of a one-dimensional fighter in that fight. He stood right in front of him. I mean he put some decent combinations together, but he didn’t open up his leg kicks; he didn’t open up the ground game at all, and he didn’t clinch. This time around I’m going to make sure the weight cut is a problem for him. I will push the pace more than he has ever seen! JB: In an interview with the Fight Network Diego criticized your jujitsu and striking abilities; said that you haven’t evolved to the level he has as a mixed martial arts fighter, and predicted a win by submission. Do you have a prediction for the fight? CG: Um… (laughs) I’m not one for predictions. You’re going to get what you pay for: another exciting Clay Guida fight. Balls to the wall 110 miles per hour! You’re going to see the best lightweight in the division. I have really evolved my training in the last year since I lost to Roger Huerta. I’m a completely different fighter now. Diego can bring what he has got. He can bring his whole camp out there to watch, because they’re going to go back to the drawing board afterwards and be like ‘huh? What did we do wrong in this fight?’ You know…when Diego is on his back looking at the stars. JB: Any word on Roger Huerta I heard he had one more fight on his contract? CG: Yeah he’s doing some acting. He signed a movie deal with Lionsgate film company. That’s one of the top movie productions, so good for him, but he still plans on fulfilling his one fight on his contract with the UFC. JB: You and Diego are both cardio machines. You both scramble very well. What’s the difference going to be in this fight? CG: What’s going to set us apart is that I want it way more. I guarantee I’m training harder. I’m not in the UFC to satisfy the UFC. I’m in the UFC to prove to everybody that I’m the best lightweight fighter in the world! Even outside the UFC. I don’t care I want that belt! I want to punish people and make them feel lonely in that cage. It’s going to be a lonely, lonely place for Diego in there. You look at everyone’s face when they fight me and they just look frustrated. It might be boring. It might be exciting, but I know it’s painful for my opponent. JB: Do you think you deserve a title shot if you beat Diego? CG: I think after I beat Diego I am very worthy of it. This will be my third Ultimate Fighter Champion I have beaten in a row. Bottom line is you’re going to get the most for your money in that title fight. You’re going to get the most explosive fighter out there against Kenny Florian or, B.J. Penn. JB: Who do you like in that fight? CG: That’s going to be a barn burner. I think it depends if the B.J. we’ve seen the last year and a half shows up, or the one that fights at 170: that’s not as determined or explosive shows up. The way Kenny has looked since he fought Sean Sherk he’s just an animal right now. He’s putting people away, and he’s making people miserable. It’s going to be an amazing fight! Hopefully they will be introducing me in the cage afterwards for a title shot. JB: Your last opponent Nate Diaz is taking on Joe Stevenson on the undercard. Who do you like in that fight? CG: I think that’s a tough fight for Joe. He has trouble with guys that are a lot taller. Nate has great jujitsu; his boxing is very good; you saw what his brother did on the last Strikeforce card. He beat the living crap out of Scott Smith with pin point striking. Nate and Joe are very tough competitors. Joe needs this victory his back is up against the wall. JB: Speaking of Strikeforce you’re a former Strikeforce Lightweight champion. What did you think about their last show? CG: It was wild man! Strikeforce does a good job. Joe Riggs looked great. Phil Baroni has never been dominated like that I don’t think? Nick Diaz keeps getting better. I think he does great at a catch weight. Brett Rogers proved he’s the real deal. He’s just mauling guys. I have trained with Andrei. I just think he got caught by surprise. It’s nothing against Andrei you get hit by a man that size on the jaw wooooo…anyone goes down from that. JB: You have fought some of the toughest guys in the UFC. Who would you say your toughest opponent has been? CG: I get this question a lot. I think Gilbert Melendez, who took my belt in Strikeforce was my toughest opponent outside the UFC. He’s a real tough dude that pushes a high pace. Inside the UFC they’re all tough: one is tougher than the next. Roger Huerta really pushed me to become a better fighter. He taught me to change up my game plans. You can’t just go out there and be a reckless fighter. You have to be poised and you have to be patient, so yeah I would have to say the Roger Huerta fight was a great learning experience. JB: WEC Bantamam Weight Champion Miguel Torres also trains in the Chicago area. Have you ever got the chance to train with him? CG: Unfortunately, no I have not. He’s a buddy of mine. I look up to him, he’s an animal. I would love to get over there and train with him. I will definitely do it in the future for sure. JB: What did you think about the Brown vs. Faber fight? CG: I thought that was an amazing showcase of the two top guys in the world. Faber broke his hand early. He showed a lot of heart having to use his knees, elbows, and left hands to keep him in the fight. He never said die and that’s what fighters are suppose to be made of. I think they need to build up the re-match again. I mean he was fighting twenty minutes plus with a broken hand and was in the fight the whole time. JB: I heard you got edited out of the video game UFC Undisputed 2009, because your hair was too long, and Dana White offered you 10K to cut it, but you refused. What’s the story behind that? CG: The whole thing with the hair and Dana White was a bit of a joke. That really had nothing to do with the game. My hair is kind of my image with fighting. In fact Dana actually got pissed and called THQ and bitched at them for not getting me into the game long after that, so that’s a whole different incident. There is like at least 3 or 4 people in the game with long hair: a couple of the fighters, Herb Dean, the ring girls. After I beat up Diego they’re going to look that much more unprofessional. JB: You have had some tough jobs in your life. I heard you were a Crab Fisherman in Alaska. What is more dangerous the UFC or the Deadliest Catch? CG: Crab fishing for sure without a doubt. I just did that for the experience. JB: One of my training partners Jeff Lange has a huge man crush on you. This guy buys all your stuff, and just wanted me to personally tell you that he’s rooting for you and good luck in your fight! CG: I appreciate it. Tell Jeff I said hi, and I hope to meet him some day. Tell him thank you very much for his support. JB: Anything you would like to say in closing? CG: Yeah I want to thank Sliver Star for giving me the new Clay Guida shirt. You can buy it at http://www.sliverstar.com I want to thank Chicago’s Carpenter Union. I want to thank MMA Stop Fight Management. I want to thank Midwest Training Center and all my training partners at Gilbert Grappling. I want to thank my parents. I want to thank Diego’s camp for getting him ready it’s going to be a great fight. I want to thank the UFC. It’s going to be fight of the year!
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