LAS VEGAS – Clay Guida is willing and ready to run it back.
Following his UFC on ESPN 31 submission win over Leonardo Santos, MMA Junkie asked Guida (37-21 MMA, 18-15 UFC) what his next move is and who he would like to fight next. His named a past foe, one he holds a win over: Nate Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC).
“We want to stay on the gas pedal, stay active,” Guida said at the post-fight news conference. “There’s still one dude out there with our name on him. I beat him once. I’ll give him another chance. Nate Diaz, I know you’re out there. You can’t run. You can’t hide. I know you’re going to turn the fight down. You probably won’t even know we want to fight you again. But if you ever want to do it again, buddy, I’ll give you a shot at it. So let me know.”
At UFC 94 in January 2009, Guida defeated Diaz via split decision. Since then, the two fighter’s paths have diverged, but thy are two of the only members of the UFC roster who have tenured that long. Diaz has bounced between lightweight and welterweight, while Guida has remained largely at 155 pounds, though he did enjoy a brief stint at featherweight, as well.
Over the near-13-year period since their UFC 94 showdown, the rivalry between Guida and Diaz has remained. Guida has long voiced his hope for a second fight. In May 2018, Diaz and Guida were involved in an alleged physical altercation at “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA.”
UFC on ESPN 31 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex and aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+. Check out Guida’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.
Clay Guida offers rematch to Nate Diaz: ‘I beat him once. I’ll give him another chance’
