Veteran UFC lightweight contender, Clay Guida has boldly claimed he would give Nate Diaz another chance to defeat him following their initial 2009 bout — offering the Stockton native a rematch almost 12 years following their first meeting, off the back of a stunning, rallying effort against Leonardo Santos at UFC Vegas 44.
Guida, a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, featured on the main card of UFC Vegas 44 on Saturday against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Santos, survived a first round knockdown and a volley of subsequent ground strikes to see the second frame.
The Illinois native managed to answer the second bell, and within just a minute and a half of the frame, had turned the fight entirely on its head — securing the stunning fifteenth submission victory of his career with a rear-naked choke win over Santos. The win earned Guida a Performance of the Night honor.
The 39-year-old managed to improve his storied, lengthy professional record to 37-18 with the rallying submission triumph, and had a rather surprising callout post-event, offering former lightweight title challenger, Diaz a rematch following their January 2009 showdown.
“There’s still one dude out there…” Guida told assembled media post-fight. “(I) Beat him once and 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 so let me know.“
First meeting in 2009 at UFC 94, Guida and Diaz earned Fight of the Night honors with the former besting the Stockton fan favorite with a split decision win in ‘Sin City’.
Despite the rather peculiar callout, Diaz has maintained he will only return for the final fight on his current UFC contract for a top-5 matchup — likely at welterweight, and has recently, publicly refused a bout agreement to meet the #10 ranked undefeated, Khamzat Chimaev.
One of the most recognizable figures in the sport, Guida landed his seventeenth UFC victory over the weekend, adding Santos to a résumé that features successes against the likes of Josh Thomson, Mac Danzig, Rafael dos Anjos, Takanori Gomi, Anthony Pettis, Hatsu Hioki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Erik Koch, Joe Lauzon, B.J. Penn, and Michael Johnson.
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