Guida takes up Diaz on his trash-talk challenge
Nate Diaz is back and so is his mouth. The younger of the two Diaz brothers is ready to take the next step. The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner is taking on Clay Guida, who has a strong wrestling background. That suits Diaz perfectly since after his last win at Ultimate Fight Night 15 over Josh Neer, he called out all wrestlers and submission fighters:
"(Neer) ain't no black belt in jiu-jitsu like the other guys I've been fighting. All these other jiu-jitsu guys and (expletive) and wrestlers y'all need to learn how to box and get in here and fight us."
Guida got the call and is ready for the challenge. He told Cage Writer that he's not exactly high on the way the Diaz brothers behave:
"I totally respect the heck out of both of them, their fighting style is awesome. As far as the antics after the fight, in post-fight interviews, when they're at a gym working out ... if I were them I'd want to be remembered for my fighting style and have a smile on my face. Not downtalking the refs, the judge, the audience, whoever it may be, it seems like they have a negative attitude about everyone."
Maybe Diaz (10-2, 5-0 UFC) needs to be angry to pull out victories:
"If that's what it takes, that's what it takes but Saturday night it ain't gonna happen. When I have a barrage of elbows and punches coming at him, he's not going to know what hit him. We have a recipe for success."
Guida said his camp mixed in lots of guys who resemble Diaz physically, in that 6-foot, 155-pound range. He thinks that a win here should lead to a fight against one of the top five fighters at 155 later in 2009.
We also talked a lot about Guida's connection to the wrestling world. He says former amateur champs like Mo Lawal, Ben Askren and Bobby Lashley are coming quickly and are bound for big things.
Check out Cage Writer's picks for all the fights at UFC 94.
Join Cage Writer on Saturday night. Maggie Hendricks will host a live chat throughout the PPV portion of UFC 94. Cofield will be cageside with updates on all 10 fights. And don't miss the only post-fight wrap-up show from the MGM starting at 10 p.m. PT/1 a.m. ET
