Clay Guida feeling good, but doesn’t want to be fighting at 40

UFC veteran Clay Guida returned to the win column this Sunday with a rather impressive win over Erik Koch, which snapped a 2-year skid that saw Guida drop back to back losses. The win was a particularly impressive one for Guida, who not only snapped a 2-fight skid, but also returned to the Octagon after nearly a year-long layoff, this time at lightweight.

While the win was an impressive one for Guida, he admitted following the fight that while he wants to continue fighting so long as he feels good, he has no intentions of fighting in his 40s like MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko:

“As long as I’m having fun and I feel like I’m improving, there’s always going to be those bumps in the road,” Guida told reporters after the FS2-televised lightweight scrap at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. “I never look at it as ‘It’s a young man’s game,’ because I’m still young. I’m in my mid-30’s. The scientists do studies, they say the male is in their peak at in the mid-30’s still.

“I feel like I’m at a very strong class, very competitive. But I feel as strong as I ever have. And I’m improving with the coaching staff at Team Alpha Male and we’re getting better every day out there.”

“I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 40,” Guida said. “I love Fedor for being the man that he is, and I feel like the dude sits in the locker room, plays cards in his jeans with his feet up, eats a 12-pack of donuts and they say, ‘Alright Fedor, you’re on.’ He just jumps up, goes out and fights, and that’s just awesome. He’s a master.

“(But) that’s not for everybody. I don’t want to be fighting when I’m 40. I want to be coaching and helping coach wrestling and things like that. And watching all this stables of fighters we have improve.”

What’s next for Guida? Play matchmaker and give us your thoughts in the comments section below PENN Nation!

on 6/27/2017.