Clay Guida
Clay Guida expects big things in 2011
Clay Guida kept Takanori Gomi guessing in their UFC 125 lightweight match-up with constant movement, unpredictable strikes and finished “The Fireball Kid” with a guillotine choke earning Submission of the Night honors and $60,000 bonus cash.
“Gomi is a legend, and it was an honor to get in there and get punched by him, and it was an even bigger honor to submit him,” Guida told HeavyMMA.com. “We said we were either going to take him down and ground and pound or choke somehow, and we did one of the two.”
Guida, known for his furious pace, didn’t allow Gomi to get comfortable. Utilizing head movement and changing levels, the 29-year old fighter felt he frustrated his Japanese opponent.
“I could see it in his face. I’m not known for kicking people in the face. I’m not known for landing a lot of punches, but I know I stung him a couple of times. I could see it in his face,” stated Guida.
“We kept throwing that overhand and that jab which I knew was going to open up that head kick which we landed a couple of times. From there, it just opened up my wrestling which is our bread and butter and leads into our submissions and ground and pound.”
Guida knew not to stand in front of Gomi and trade punches. He didn’t want to engage in a game of Russian roulette with a fighter who possesses one-punch knockout power.
“I knew not to get caught up into trading with him. That was our game plan, head movement, don’t trade with him, secure a takedown, and that’s what won the fight,” said Guida.
Going 2-0 in 2010, and defeating Gomi on New Year’s Day, Clay Guida is optimistic about the rest of 2011.
“2011 is going to bring big things,” commented Guida. “We don’t turn down fights, but we want to be very selective in who we fight just because this is a short career, so we want to fight who is going to put us in line for title contention. I’m not calling anyone out. I just want to fight the next best guy out there that fits out style.”
“End of 2011 I think we’ll be right there at the top, definitely top three or four,” added the Illinoisan.
Recognizing the next few fights are crucial, Guida believes he’s only a couple of victories away from a coveted title shot.
“I’d say a couple of more victories,” said Guida when asked how far away he is from title contention. “We’ve got three submissions in a row now. We keep putting guys away and they’re only going to give us better fighters and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
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