Last night (Sat., July 26, 2014) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweights Clay Guida and Dennis Bermudez faced off in a pivotal bout on the main card of UFC on FOX 12 from SAP Center in San Jose, California (full results here).
No. 12-ranked Bermudez came in off a third round finish of Jimy Hettes at UFC 171 in March, his sixth straight mixed martial arts (MMA) victory. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 finalist was on the brink of stardom in a talent-heavy division, but he had to get past the well-traveled "Carpenter" first.
No. 7-ranked Guida was last seen defeating Tatsuya Kawajiri in a "Fight of the Night"-winning decision at UFC Fight Night 39 in April. The former lightweight had still dropped three of his previous five bouts. He was also facing a younger, more evolved version of himself last night.
When the dust settled in San Jose, Bermudez made it clear that he's more than ready to ascend to the top rungs of the talented 145-pound arena.
Bermudez came out aggressive, winging shots with authority. Guida had his trademark movement working as the crowd chanted his name. "Carpenter" snapped his opponent with a hard shot, and Bermudez responded with a good punch-kick combo. Guida couldn't complete a takedown as Bermudez controlled the Octagon with a front headlock. He scored with a knee on the fence, breaking to land a hard right.
Bermudez made Guida pay for a missed takedown with a knee and some punches. The fighters went to war, trading blows before Bermudez got a strange takedown. Bermudez went to work with some big shots, using the Muay Thai clinch to hurt Guida badly. "Menace" took his back to soften him up with shots, looking for a couple rear naked chokes to close out the opening round.
Bermudez pushed the pace to start the second, but Guida reversed on the fence to go for an ill-fated takedown. Bermudez maintained a high pace of precise strikes by snapping a few jabs that Guida countered. He stalked down Guida with front kicks and repeated power punches followed by a takedown.
Bermudez then took Guida's back once again, this time securing a tight rear naked choke to earn the tap with just over two minutes left in the second round.
By taking Guida out of his element and essentially rendering the grinding "Carpenter" ineffective, "Menace" won his seventh straight over a seasoned veteran. He's probably still two wins away from a championship fight, so the winner of UFC 178's Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier would be a great and telling match-up for "Menace."
He could also square off with the returning Chan Sung Jung or Nik Lentz.
For Guida, it's a devastating loss. He's now lost four out of his last six fights and is obviously headed on a downward spiral. He'll always be one of the most high-paced and gritty fighters to ever step into the Octagon, but submissions have proven to be his kryptonite.
Guida will most likely experience a sharp slide down the rankings. A fight with fellow wrestler Darren Elkins could be next for him, but he'll have to start picking up wins in rapid fashion if he wants to remain relevant.
Dennis Bermudez kept the ball rolling by defeating the always-tough Clay Guida at UFC on FOX 12, proving he can hang with the best in the process. With featherweight stacked to the brim, what challenges will await the surging ‘Menace?"