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#4. Nate Diaz at UFC 94
In this 2009 bout, Clay Guida took on surging UFC contender Nate Diaz. The fighter from Stockton won The Ultimate Fighter season 5 and went on to win his next four fights in the promotion. Having won the tournament that was dubbed as a reality show and being the little brother of MMA legend, Nick Diaz, there were a lot of eyes on this prospect as he was set to battle it out against Guida.
Diaz would not continue his winning ways, as Guida had other plans for him. Using exceptional movement and the occasional blitz of strikes, the now 40-year-old was able to make Diaz fight a more apprehensive battle than he normally does.
Eventually, Clay Guida would use his wrestling skills to thwart any offense from his opponent. Nick and Nate Diaz are well-known for their sharp boxing, pace and submission skills, so a fight against them is often a 'pick your poison' situation. 'The Carpenter' dabbled with the striking but found that his easiest path to victory was to smother his opponent, resulting in one of his most impressive performances to date. Clay Guida won this fight via split-decision.
#3. Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson may not have the most attractive record when just looking at the numbers, but he's been fighting against the top of the division for almost a decade. 'The Menace' lays claim to one of the highest boxing pedigrees in the UFC. Knocking out Dustin Poirier, clipping Khabib Nurmagomedov and the many sparring wars against Kamaru Usman really showcases how dangerous a striker Johnson is.
Given the threat that he is on the feet, this made things all the more shocking when Clay Guida was rather successful with the striking in their 2021 bout. The wrestling threat often opens up more opportunities for punches and kicks and Guida utilized all of the above incredibly well.
'The Carpenter' entered the octagon as the betting underdog, but left with another victory on his record and one of the best performances of his career against a very dangerous striker in Michael Johnson.
