Clay Guida had a huge comeback earlier this year against Leonardo Santos. The UFC veteran was on the verge of getting TKO’d when he toughed it out to submit his opponent in an incredibly gutsy performance.
The victory had many people calling it the ‘comeback of the year.’ The UFC legend broke down exactly what happened during that fight from his point of view.
“He kicked me right in the gut,” UFC legend Guida said on The MMA Hour. “It was pinpoint. And I don’t really watch my fights right away afterwards, but one of my buddies showed me a highlight and it kind of looked — people thought I got kicked in the midsection, and when I brought my hands down, it looked like I was kind of holding it. But he got me right in the stomach or belly button, and it was brutal. I was almost paralyzed in there for 20 or 30 seconds, and I had flashbacks of the Diego Sanchez fight — and I was like, ‘Not again. This is not happening now.’ My mouth guard came out and then my silly hair ties started coming out, and he was kneeing me in the head, in the shoulders, punching me.
“I had to stay calm in there and just realize if we can get through it against Diego Sanchez, we can get through it against him, and just grab onto anything. And yeah, we weathered the storm and got back in there and pressed the pace.”
The UFC veteran had every opportunity to look for a way out but chose not to do so. It was a very gutsy performance and one many are going to remember after a fun year of fights.