The UFC’s longest serving fighter Clay Guida has confirmed that he’s now left the promotion, but it seems the 43-year-old isn’t ready to hang up his gloves just yet.
Guida’s 19-year run in the UFC began all the way back at UFC 64 in 2006 when he submitted Justin James in his debut, and finally comes to a close after suffering three losses in a row over the past couple of years, with his 37th and final appearance in the Octagon proving to be a first round submission loss to Chase Hooper back in December.
Known for for being a gritty, high-intensity cardio machine, Guida had many memorable back-and-forth battles over the years, including a ‘Fight Of The Year’ instant classic against Diego Sanchez in 2009.
“From a six-year-old kid at wrestling practice in the tiny village of Johnsburg to a mediocre high school wrestler, to a second-string junior college wrestler, to competing at the highest level in front of sold-out crowds all over the world in the UFC—I’ve had an incredible journey,” Guida wrote on Instagram.
“I’ve been competing in sports for 38 years, and the UFC has made it possible for me to compete professionally for 19 of those years.
“There is nothing I enjoy more than stepping into the octagon and fighting for our fans,” Guida wrote. “I am truly grateful to Dana White and his outstanding staff for giving a kid with average skills but above-average work ethic the opportunity to fulfill his dreams as a wrestler and mixed martial artist.”
Guida thanked the UFC and many other people, including his brother Jason Guida, who first introduced him to the sport in 2003 at a time when he was on the verge of making a living working on a fishing boat in the Bering Sea.
Guida also went on to state that he is not planning on calling time on his career just yet.
“This is not my retirement. This is simply a thank you for now and a passing of my UFC torch to the next generation of warriors and wrestlers. We were built to last. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the best is yet to come.”
