In response to a complaint from Gray "the Bully" Maynard's camp, Clay "the Carpenter" Guida will wear his signature locks tightly bound and braided for their match at UFC on FX 4 scheduled for June 22, 2012. The preliminary fights will be shown on Fuel TV. With his hair out of his eyes, maybe Guida will see a (new) clear path to bully the Bully.
I am in support of Guida tying his hair back. When I watch him fight, I'm always yelling at him to get his hair out of his face. I wonder if having his hair loose and flying around adds something to Clay's game. When he received the request to comply from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board , Clay didn't raise any issues. Undaunted, Clay agreed to show up on fight night with his hair braided. source
Wild vs Conservative
The match-up in styles between Clay Guida and Gray Maynard could easily be described as "wild vs conservative". Clay is known for his high-intensity, speedy delivery and mad-cap pace. Compared to Guida's pace, Maynard, the wrestler, is more deliberate and methodical.
I checked the fight preview stats on FightMetric. Based on their numbers, both fighters go the distance more often than finishing their fights early based on their average fight duration of 13 to 14 minutes. Their averages for take downs in a 15 minute fight are three for Gray and four for Clay.
My prediction is these two guys spend less time striking and more time pressing each other against the cage--dirty boxing and knee striking--looking for an opportunity to take the other man down. In his last fight with another fighter known for his signature hair, current UFC champion, Ben "Smooth" Henderson, FightMetric stats show that Guida threw less than half as many punches (35 landed out of 65 thrown) as Henderson threw (102 landed out of 158 thrown) back at Guida.
More hairy UFC fighters
Clay Guida's plan to braid his hair reminded me that Urijah Faber cut his hair in support of his sister who had her head shaved for surgery following a terrible car accident. His hair was still shorter than usual during his stint as a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter Live". I'm curious to see whether Urijah will let his hair grow long enough to be braided again--or maybe--he's gotten used to the shorter length (much less maintenance).
Speaking of maintenance, Roy "Big Country" Nelson, was interviewed alongside his wife on Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live". His long shaggy mane made me want to reach for a flat iron. Seriously, that dude needs some help from a stylist. His current look is short on top and really long in the back. I think I'd like to see him sporting a blended hair do with a samurai topknot accompanied by one long braid down his back. Of course, the braid would have to be tucked away during fighting. Getting your hair stuck under your back when you hit the mat after a take down is distracting.
What's your prediction for Guida vs Maynard?
I'm predicting Clay Guida shows the Bully what he thinks of being told how to wear his hair by defeating him via split decision.
Source: Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" 06/14/12, FightMetric.com
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Cheryl Ragsdale started out boxing and has added kicks and BJJ so she can practice MMA. Currently, she trains with Keith Florian and has trained with UFC Fighter Kenny Florian at Florian Martial Arts - follow @thatgirlisfunny
