Age apart— Guida is 42, Hooper 25 — the pair could not have been in more different spots. “The Carpenter” had lost two straight, while Hooper was on a roll, having picked up victories in his last three, including two straight submissions.

In a fight where most expected it to be contested mainly on the ground Hooper decided to show just how much he’s improved on the feet. Cleaner footwork, good combinations, he put it on Guida early and often.

Grappling fans weren’t disappointed however as the two did grapple plenty with the taller Hooper getting the better of Guida in each exchange.

The pace was high, but not enough to slow Hooper down as he used the striking game to make Guida worry about the hands, and when the fight hit the ground the young kid took over.

Quick work for Chase Hooper 💪#UFC310 | LIVE NOW | ESPN+ 🍿 https://t.co/XX1YuUOYuv pic.twitter.com/jZGDWqQl0J

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 7, 2024

Hooper sunk the arm bar in forcing Guida into a panic as he looked for a way out of the submission, but it was not to be. Hooper scores a second consecutive victory ending his 2024 with a 2-1 record.

Official Result: Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida via R1 SUB (Armbar), 3:41

The post Chase Hooper Shows Off Striking Game, Scores Armbar Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

Guida had been trading wins and losses over his past six fights or so, while Silva was 1-3 through four fights, with the lone win coming over now-former UFC fighter Jesse Ronson.

Clay Guida started the fight with his patented awkward movement, which seemed to be confusing Silva as he was hit with some clean shots at the start of the round. Silva was clearly being patient and trying to pick his shots throughout the opening frame.

Guida over-committed on a right hand later in the round and ate a fight-changing uppercut that led to huge shots from Silva. Guida was able to survive and land a takedown to bring about an end to a crazy back half of the first round.

The second round saw Guida start strong, slamming Silva on the mat for the takedown. Silva was able to find his way up and get control in the clinch landing huge shots but Guida was continuing to make Silva work. Clay Guida landed yet another takedown in the round but Silva jumped guillotine and it seemed to be tight. Guida muscled out of it and was able to get up leading to both fighters back on their feet. Guida finished the round strong heading into round three where he was looking to win the fight.

Heading into the third round Silva seemed to have control of the round as Guida was looking to get the fight to the mat, but Silva was able to stuff the early attempts. Guida was relentless trying to get the fight to the mat but Silva continued to stuff the head and use his forward pressure to try and get round three in his favor. Silva continued to try and jump guillotine but Guida defended it and ended the round with Silva on top to end the fight.

This was a potential fight of the night but the judges ultimately scored the 29-28 unanimous decision for Joaquim Silva. Silva said after the fight he expected this fight out of Clay Guida saying “This guy is amazing!”

Official Result: Joaquim Silva def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Austin: Joaquim Silva Wins Decision Over Fan-Fave Clay Guida appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Clay Guida is very tough guy. It’s very difficult to fight for him because he move a lot and use a lot of energy in the fight,” Silva told reporters on Wednesday.

“(He’s got) very good condition(ing). He’s 40, 41 years old. It’s hard to fight him, but I’m prepared for the fight. I love this guy. I watched this guy my whole life, and I’m very excited for Saturday night.”

A fight with Guida could mean a long night for an opponent, but Silva says he’s ready for it all.

“I’m prepared for three rounds. I think second or the last round I’ll finish the fight. This is my plan,” Silva said offering a prediction.

In a bit of an awkward situation, not one that’s rare in MMA, but Silva is coming off a loss to Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan will headline the card against Beneil Dariush on Saturday.

“When I (fought) Arman I prepared super fast. I think I stressed my body a lot. Second round feeling lazy, feeling out of energy,” Silva said.

“But right now it’s different. I trained good, I’m feeling good.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Joaquim Silva above. He takes on Clay Guida at UFC Austin.

The post Joaquim Silva Excited To Fight Man He Watched All His Life appeared first on Cageside Press.

That burnout, however, doesn’t appear to have hit Guida much. The 41-year old continues to compete at a high clip, and will take on Joaquim Silva in Austin, Texas this Saturday.

“My thing was, what is the alternative?” said Guida, with the UFC since 2007. “Do I want to go back to working as a carpenter? Do I want to go back to not a 9 to 5 job, but a 7 to 3 job, being up at 4, 4:30 in the morning?”

“The Carpenter,” who takes his nickname from his former trade, recalled “bitter cold” days in Illinois, where the compressor wouldn’t start, and hot midwest summers in Chicago where it would be “95 degrees, 105 degrees humidity, and you’re up on a roof, building a roof.”

“That was awesome at the time. In my early 20s, it’s a great way to make a living, it’s an honest living, it makes you tough, I love putting people in homes, I think it’s great. But I knew I was meant for something greater. I knew I was put on this Earth to compete, I just didn’t know what it was in.”

Guida found wrestling in high school, however, and jumped from there to fighting. Now, there’s a chance he could be ready for UFC 300, expected to arrive sometime around late March or early April of next year. Win or lose at UFC Austin, the timing certainly lines up, and Guida acknowledged that it would be a career milestone.

“Tell you what, the movie 300— I’ve always wanted to be part of that. But I think the next best thing would be fighting at UFC 300. We started at UFC 64. I don’t think there’s too many people that can say they’ve been through 200 Pay-Per-Views, not to mention all the Fight Nights, all the TUF finales, all the other events. That would be a milestone in our career.”

Zack Snyder’s 300 tells a fictionalized account of King Leonidas and 300 fellow Spartan warriors fighting Persian invaders in 480 B.C. It’s no wonder a fighter might see appeal in appearing in such a flick — but if all goes well, Guida may get to make history himself at UFC 300 next year.

Watch the full UFC Austin media day appearance by Clay Guida above.

The post Clay Guida Can’t Be in Movie 300, So He Wants on UFC 300 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“A little bittersweet, you know, I mean it wasn’t my decision where I was like really excited to fight someone like Clay. Someone I admire. I had to prepare myself mentally for three months and be like he’s someone you look up to. He was one of my heroes when I was growing up,” Garcia told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

It wasn’t just that he looked up to Guida. The long-time UFC veteran and future hall-of-famer showed a young Garcia kindness at an important point.

“When I met him for the first time at went to a Grappler’s Quest and a few fighters denied me and my brother a picture. I went up to Clay before we were competing and he gave us a hug. Was super nice to us. He took a picture with me, Cub (Swanson) and my brother, and Clay,” Garcia said. He explained that it was “kind of hard” to get into the mentality of trying to hurt the man he looked up to in a fight.

“I think I prepared myself really good (for fighting Clay). I went in there I was like ‘man this  is just an opponent.’ It doesn’t matter the name, it doesn’t matter anybody. They’re just trying to take it away from me.”

Now that it’s over Garcia looked ahead to the rest of 2023. With plenty of time left in the year he set some goals for himself for the rest of the year.

“I mean get two more fights this year at least, and hopefully be in the top 15 by the end of the year,” he said.

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Rafa Garcia above.

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Both fighters have a similarly well-rounded fighting style, but the fans in Kansas City would be rooting for Guida because of his history of amazing fights in the cage and his likeable personality.

Both men came out swinging hard from the very opening bell, but neither gained a clear upper hand. Rafa was largely pressuring Clay backwards but Guida kept moving constantly, circling towards the lead hand and avoiding many of the strikes sent his way. No real big moments happened for either man in the entire first round, but Garcia kept touching Guida with sharp straight shots while Clay had trouble landing much cleanly.

Clay Guida came out in round two trying to press forward but the cage-craft of Rafa Garcia quickly let him gain the front foot. Garcia stayed well ahead on the strike count and his jab kept popping the face of Clay. Guida tried a takedown early on but Garcia defended the single leg shot with ease and got back to popping him with the jab.

The final round was more of the same except Clay Guida tried to bite down on his mouthpiece and press forward to get at his opponent, as he seemed to be behind on the scorecards. But the clean, technical jab of Rafa Garcia kept pumping out and sticking Guida. That, along with his straight right hand, were just interrupting every action of Guida and tenderized his face. With forty seconds left in the round Garcia shot a takedown but Guida defended it well against the fence. Rafa Garcia kept the strikes going at a high pace until the bell, really hunting for a finish late.

The toughness of Clay Guida was the only thing which let him see the final bell. The judges scorecards were in no doubt as all three judges had it 30-27 for Rafa Garcia. Clay Guida pulled a little prank on viewers by starting to take his gloves off as if he was retiring, but when DC brought the mic to him to ask him if he was retiring he asked the crowd what they think, and then told DC, “I tricked you guys, I’m not walking away yet,” before giving massive props to Rafa Garcia and offering to trade gloves with the younger man.

Official Result: Rafa Garcia def. Clay Guida by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post UFC Kansas City: Rafa García Tenderizes Clay Guida’s Face to 30-27 Sweep appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Every matchup is more intriguing to me than the last. As we continue in our career we find different talents, different skills, different things that we’re developing every training camp. Every opponent poses a new threat, but just another challenge to me that keeps us hungry, keeps us going in this sport,” Guida told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“We fought countless veterans and it’s fun to fight newer faces in the sport as well. Rafa Garcia is one of these guys that’s been super active since he got onto the UFC roster, and I feel like a guy like him in his shoes he wants to take on a veteran that’s been in the sport for a long time. See where he stands on that list.”

Guida (38-22) has been around the sport for such a long time that many wonder why he continues to fight. Guida said it’s a question he’s asked all the time.

“People ask me that all the time. I tell them we’re 41 going on 21. I’m in better shape now than I was in my 20s man. Keep that same mentality here on training camps, outwork everybody, and the rest will fall in place,” he said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Clay Guida above. He takes on Rafa Garcia at UFC Kansas City on Saturday night.

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“I’m really excited to fight someone like Clay Guida. Time to go out there and give it my all,” Garcia told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“I know Clay is going to come to try and bully me. He’s a cardio freak and he’s going to try to walk me down, you know.”

Guida brings, for the most part, the same game plan to each of his fights. Set a high pace and keep it there until his opponent breaks. And then push it harder.

“Clay’s, I feel like, he’s a veteran. He has so much experience. He’s not going to get scared like with the first punch. I’ve got to go out there and just be very patient, be very smart, go out there and break him little by little and get the win,” Garcia said.

Garcia (14-3) looks to fellow Mexican fighters who have won titles recently, the likes of Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodriguez, and hopes to continue the trend of success for fighters from Mexico.

“I’m very proud because I mean it too a long time for us to get here. Feel like my fighting style is very Mexican. I’m always going forward and just throwing a lot of punches. I’m never backing down. Feel like all my fights are never boring,” he said.

“It’s always like blood, something you know? That’s the Mexican style of fighting right there.”

A card in Mexico was rumored for this year, but recently UFC president Dana White has shot down the possibility of a card south of the border in 2023. Still Garcia hopes that the UFC will return to Mexico this year and he’ll plan to be on that card. Otherwise the possibility of joining fellow Mexican fighters Moreno and Rodriguez in Las Vegas in July is also appealing.

“Vegas is like a second home for us. So we’ve got to go out there,” Garcia said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Rafa Garcia above. He takes on Clay Guida at UFC Kansas City on Saturday night.

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Clay Guida (38-22) is set to face Rafa Garcia (14-3) in a lightweight showdown at UFC Kansas City on April 15, 2023. News of the booking was first reported by Garcia’s management firm, Bloodline Combat Sports Agency.

Garcia also confirmed the match-up.

Guida is a 34-fight UFC veteran, which puts him at #4 on the all-time list. He’s been trading wins and losses of late, and has posted a 3-2 record in his last five. Most recently, Guida picked up a win over Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman.

“The Carpenter” joined the UFC in 2006; a laundry list of fights against notable names followed. He’s a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, having defeated Josh “The Punk” Thompson to win gold.

Rafa Garcia enters the fight giving up a huge edge in experience, which is the case for almost any Guida opponent. He is coming off a win against Maheshate, however. A former standout in Combate Americas (now Combate Global), Garcia is 3-3 inside the octagon to date.

UFC Kansas City is set for the AT&T Center in Kansas City, MO on April 15. The card is expected to be headlined by featherweights Max Holloway and Arnold Allen, with the following match-ups reported to date:

• Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen
• Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier
• Bruna Brasil vs. Denise Gomez
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• T.J. Brown vs. Bill Algeo
• Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo
• Gillian Robertson vs. Piera Rodríguez
• Pedro Munhoz vs. Chris Gutiérrez
• Danaa Batgerel vs. Brady Hiestand
• Lando Vannata vs. Daniel Zellhuber
• Gastón Bolaños vs. Aaron Phillips
• Lucie Pudilová vs. Joselyne Edwards
• Brandon Royval vs. Matheus Nicolau
• Clay Guida vs. Rafa Garcia

The post Clay Guida vs. Rafa Garcia Booked for UFC Kansas City appeared first on Cageside Press.

In what was likely to be his retirement fight, 39-year-old lightweight Scott Holtzman threw down with the man whose career was seemingly never-ending, Clay Guida, at UFC Orlando on Saturday.

“Hot Sauce” Holtzman had lost two straight, and was closing out a career that had brought him to the confines of the UFC in 2015. Guida, meanwhile, had been trading wins and losses across his last four bouts.

Clay Guida started out in his usual fashion, bobbing back and forth while whipping leg kicks. Scott Holtzman controlled the Octagon, but seemed to be limited in what he could do with his attacks. Holtzman was able to crack Guida at the end of the round, but The Carpenter landed a big shot as well.

Guida started the second round with a takedown, but it did not last long as Holtzman got up and popped Guida with an elbow. Holtzman was letting his strikes fly early in the second round, landing with relative ease, but Guida chained together a pair of hooks into a takedown. Holtzman popped out and missed a knee narrowly. Guida pushed the pace and got Holtzman against the fence. The veteran lifted his opponent up and slammed him to the mat. The gas tank was emptying for Guida, though, as Holtzman was finding more and more success on the feet as the round went on, stuffing a pair of takedowns as well. With 30 seconds left in the round, Guida pushed Holtzman against the cage and tacked on one more brief takedown.

Holtzman started the final round by piecing Guida up on the feet followed by a big sprawl of a takedown. The striking success of Holtzman continued as Guida was putting up little defensive resistance. After eating shots, Guida pushed for a takedown against the cage. After an effort was thwarted by Holtzman, Guida landed a slam for the second time in the contest and was able to hold Holtzman down in side control for 20 seconds. Holtzman got back up, but Guida shot desperately for another takedown and got it on the second effort. A third takedown was achieved by Guida to end the fight on a high note.

Scott Holtzman called it a career after the fight, owning a 7-6 UFC record and a 14-6 MMA record that spanned a decade after a brief professional hockey career.

Clay Guida def. Scott Holtzman by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29) 

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