LAS VEGAS – Clay Guida has been around and seen it all – or at least most of it.
Since his promotional debut at UFC 64 in October 2006, Guida (35-20 MMA, 15-14 UFC) has faced a who’s-who of lightweight and featherweight talent. At UFC Fight Night 184 on Saturday, Guida added another name to his illustrious winning resume when he defeated Michael Johnson (19-16 MMA, 11-12 UFC) by unanimous decision.
“It felt good to get back on the horse and get back in the win column,” Guida told MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “We haven’t had our hand raised since 2019, man. It gets kind of old after a while. We did a few things right, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m never satisfied with my victory. I’m never satisfied with my performance. I owe it all to my team, my cornermen, my coaches.”
Guida, 39, isn’t going anywhere, despite his age and longevity in the sport. Training at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., Guida learns and adapts from veterans and up-and-comers alike. There’s still much room for improvement.
“I’m a slow learner,” Guida said. “I’m a late-bloomer. There’s still a lot to learn in this fight game, in this martial arts game. I’m studying and I’m as amped and motivated as ever. I’m hungry to compete and stay busy. I learn from these young guys.”
Immediately following the official decision announcement in the cage, Guida made an atypical suggestion in his post-fight interview. In the day and age of frequent “money fight” callouts and athletes striving for notable opponents, Guida wants the opposite. He hopes the UFC matches him with some who is lesser-known – someone on the rise.
“We fought the who’s who, the No. 1 guys, the top five guys, the top 10 guys. We’ve fought all the veterans. Maybe someone who doesn’t have 20 UFC fights. I think my last three or four opponents, probably have a combined 100 wins or something. Maybe just someone that’s not as well known.
“But everyone knows, we don’t turn down fights. We never have. We’ve always been that guy that steps up to the plate and we fight guys that are more skilled than us. We surprise a lot of people. We’re going to be dangerous for a long time.”
UFC Fight Night 184 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+.
With ‘still a lot to learn,’ UFC Fight Night 184 winner Clay Guida wants a lesser-known name next