Clay Guida Interview The UFC's Clay Guida Is Talking Like He Wants To Start Something

Fighting in the UFC is not easy and if you fight long enough you’re eventually going to end up continuously getting knocked on your ass. How you handle a loss and bounce back will decide how long your UFC career may be. Some guys start off hot and they disappear after a loss or two, but the real fighters keep fighting and working hard.

For Clay Guida, a small town guy, fighting is something that comes natural to him as does working hard. Guida has an MMA record of 31-12. He’s fought many of the best fighters in the world and despite 12 losses his hunger and focus is still stronger than ever.

I was able to catch up with Clay as he was back home in Illinois, where he likes to work out and remind himself of where he came from. The veteran fighter had a lot to say about his career and has some strong opinions about fellow UFC fighter Conor McGregor.

Elias Trejo (ET): Sounds like you’re back home right now — tell us a little bit about where you came from?

Clay Guida (CG): Yes, I am actually near my old high school right now. I had a graduating class of about 200 kids. I don’t really call this a town; more like a village. They say people from small towns have big dreams and that pretty much describes me. I had big dreams growing up and I’m still a dreamer.

ET: Did you have any local heroes that inspired you growing up?

CG: My dad and mom. My parents are hard workers and they showed me what it means to work hard. I would give a lot of the credit to my parents for where I’m at and who I am. They both worked multiple jobs to make sure me and my siblings were able to play sports and have a home. I’ll never forget how hard they worked and that always motivates me.

ET: I’ve seen fighters fall off the map after a loss or two but you keep showing up after 12 losses — what’s different between you and the other fighters?

CG: I love what I do and I’m willing to work and sacrifice anything to keep doing it. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of fighters come in hot and they disappear faster than they came in after a loss or two. This is the UFC and the best fighters in the world are here. If you fight the great fighters you’re bound to lose.

ET: Conor McGregor is undefeated in the UFC so far and he likes to talk sh*t. What do you think about McGregor?

CG: Conor has shown some skill and we can’t take that away from him but we haven’t seen enough from him to prove that he is legit. I don’t care how many millions of fans he has. He is a flash in the pan and you can tell him that — however, I don’t know if that Irish potato picker would know what that means, but he’s a one hit wonder.

ET: How much of this is real and show? He said you were boring in one of his interviews.

CG: If he wants to see what boring is tell him to call me. I’ve been looking forward to meeting him because I want to hear how ridiculous he really sounds. I don’t get flustered by that stuff but I can show him what boring is if he wants to get in the ring with me. He needs to fight real fighters with some pedigree before he starts talking too much.

ET: What’s next for you? Who do you want to fight?

CG: I think you know who. I’d love to just steamroll McGregor just so people forget about his goofy ass. He’s a leprechaun looking for the treasure at the end of the rainbow and I hope he finds me on his way there. I’d only need about two weeks to train to ruin that guy's day. That’s who I would pick if I could, but I’ll take on anyone. I want to work my way up the ranks and I’ll fight whoever it takes to get up there.

ET: Anything else you want to add, Clay?

CG: Well I want to make sure I thank MusclePharm and MateFit. They help make my life, workouts and fights much easier. If you are looking to take your body to the next level you need to go check those products out. I also want to thank my fans for their support. I may be down — but I’m not out. I’m a wrestler for life and I can’t wait to get back into the ring