Plenty of energy expended in the entertaining co-main event of UFC Fight Night 39 tonight with Clay Guida’s seemingly endless gas tank and impressive takedowns helping him to a unanimous decision victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Round One:
Guida out quickly in typical fashion. After some bobbing and waving about he lands a nice punch.
Kawajiri also looking to get busy in the opening stages with a spinning backfist, but Guida suddenly drops him with a looping right, though he’s straight back to his feet.
Guida clinching against the cage and working hard for a takedown. Kawajiri countering with a kimura though which gives him some problems to deal with.
eventually he tries for the throw and has to roll out as Kawajiri looks for an armbar. Guida picks him up and slams him, but Kawajiri still looking for that submission.
Eventually Guida gets out of it and Kawajiri stands back up. Guida’s giving him no room to move though, staying clinched up and thinking about another takedown as his opponent goes back to looking for a kimura.
Guida with a huge throw to take Kawajiri to the mat, but he can’t keep ‘Crusher’ down.
Again Guida looking for a throw, but instead it’s Kawajiri who lands a partial one, and then moments later slams him onto his back with a double leg.
Now it’s Guida’s turn to look for a kimura from his back. A nice scramble follows to bring the round to a close.
Round Two:
The high tempo continues in the opening moments of the second round as Guida looks for punches and Kawajiri lands a glancing head kick.
Guida powers in for a takedown against the cage and manages to suck Kawajiri’s legs out from under him. The Japanese fighter uses the cage to stand back up, but Guida’s immediately in on another takedown attempt. He gets a single leg, but they scramble and get back up.
More clinch work from Guida against the cage and he hoists Kawajiri up for another big takedown. He’s not able to keep him there.
Undeterred Guida gets another takedown and again has to roll out of it as Kawajiri threatens with a submission.
Deja Vu now as Guida goes in deep again for a takedown against the cage, working hard for it, but Kawajiri reaches down, grabs ahold of his body and dumps him partially down to the mat.
Guida stays on top though and is perched over Kawajiri’s who’s now on his knees. Kawajiri shuffles toward the cage and stands up, with Guida still attached to his back. Guida hoisting him up in the final 10 seconds looking for a last takedown, but can’t complete it and the horn sounds.
Round Three:
Lots of energy expended by both men in the previous two rounds, but they still look up for more of the same in the final five minutes.
They exchanges a few punches and Guida looks for a high kick. Then he goes low with another kick.
Strikes flying in from both men including a front kick to the face attempt from Guida. Spinning attack misses from Kawajiri, but he does then work into a takedown attempt. Both men down on their knees as Kawajiri continues to look to get him fully down to the mat.
Guida resisting well though against the cage. Something of a stalemate until Guida finally manages to break free and take this fight back to the feet.
Another spinning back fist attempt from Kawajiri, but he looks tired now and it was a telegraphed attempt. Guida seems to have more energy heading into this final stretch and goes back to the familar takedown battle against the cage with Kawajiri going back to that Kimura counter.
Guida hoists him up and Kawajiri looks for a guillotine as he gets slammed to the mat. Guida shakes free and looks to establish himself from top position. Nice transition from Guida and he ends the round on top of a turtled up Kawajiri.
Decision:
