UFC on FX 4 – Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida preview
‘UFC on FX 4’ is almost here, as the promotion heads to the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday night and MMABay continues to bring you up to speed with the four main card fights on offer. It’s the turn of the main event this time, as former lightweight title contender, Gray Maynard, takes on fan favourite, Clay Guida. Will Maynard ‘Bully’ his way back into the title picture, or will ‘The Carpenter’s relentless style be too much? Find out after the jump…
Gray Maynard (10-1-1, 8-1-1 UFC)
Now that his long-running feud with former UFC lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar, is over and done with, top-ranked contender Gray Maynard turns his attention to other matters in Atlantic City as he looks to get back in the hunt at the top of the division.
The former TUF veteran and NCAA division one wrestler at Michigan State became the first man to defeat Edgar way back when, and came agonisingly close to taking his UFC lightweight title at UFC 125. After coming perilously close to finishing the champ in round one, Maynard was left shell-shocked when Edgar rallied to earn a draw.
At UFC 136, ‘The Bully’ was given an immediate rematch with a view to drawing a line under the rivalry and again came out of the blocks hard, rocking and dropping the champion but again, was unable to seal the deal. In round four, Edgar shocked us again by rallying and this time, dropping and finishing the previously unbeaten Maynard.
Now training with American Kickboxing Academy, Maynard needs a couple of standout victories to regain relevancy in the crowded lightweight title picture, and few would be more noticeable than a win over ‘The Carpenter’.
Clay Guida (29-12, 9-6 UFC)
The lightweight division’s resident Tasmanian Devil, Clay Guida has been flitting around the outskirts of the title picture for what seems like years, but the crowd-pleasing Illinois native has always fallen short against the true contenders of the division.
‘The Carpenter’ was recently flying high, winning four in a row and silencing his critics by finishing three of those opponents by submission – a crop including BJJ sensation, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Japanese legend, Takanori Gomi.
The Jackson’s MMA veteran was handed a title-eliminator fight in November as the UFC made its FOX debut, facing current title-holder, Ben Henderson. An electrifying fifteen minutes followed, with both men throwing caution to the wind and putting on a fantastic show for the fans before Henderson took the unanimous decision and with it, the title shot.
Guida is no spring chicken nowadays and while some feel he might be best suited to a final title run at 145lbs, ‘The Carpenter’s hard-nosed, relentless approach still makes him a dangerous foe for anyone in the lightweight division. A win over Maynard would certainly hush the doubters, once again.
The Verdict: With the UFC being battered by the critics these days for their ‘saturation’ approach to fight cards, this FX card is flying under the radar somewhat but on paper, it’s better than the last one. The main event in particular is solid for a minor card and if both me show up, it’s going to be war. Maynard’s boxing is under-rated and he’ll also hold the power advantage over the slightly smaller Guida, who in all honesty, is going to be up against it on Friday night.
Guida excels when he can baffle opponents with his movement, often putting them on the back-foot in fear of a takedown, but Maynard will not fall for this. ‘The Bully’s a better wrestler and if anyone’s getting the takedown, it’ll be him. Cardio won’t be an issue for either man so expect an action-packed scrap that goes the distance and becomes a front-runner for ‘Fight of the Year’, with Maynard getting the nod. Maynard, decision.
By Steve Davies.
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