Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC Vegas 44, we will see a lightweight showdown between two aging veterans. The popular Clay Guida (36-21) returns tomorrow night as he takes on the talented Leonardo Santos (18-4-1).
Leonardo Santos will be looking to bounce back tomorrow night after suffering defeat in his last fight. The last time we saw Santos was against Grant Dawson back in March. Santos looked like he was seconds away from winning, but was stopped in the final seconds of the final round.
Had he won that fight, Santos would have won 13 out of 14 fights with one draw. So far, Santos is 7-1-1 in the UFC, but he hasn’t been very active. Those nine fights have spanned the last eight years. He is 41 years old and looked old in his last fight which could hinder his output tomorrow night.
That said, he’s taking on another older UFC vet in Clay Guida. The Carpenter is a fan favorite and for good reason. Whether it’s his antics in the cage or the constant movement, Guida has been a source of entertainment for UFC fans since 2006.
In his last fight, he lost a really close decision to Mark Madsen. Had he won that fight, Guida would have won two in a row. The veteran has been in there with some of the very best that the UFC has to offer and he will definitely test Santos tomorrow.
UFC Vegas 44 Prediction
This is a really weird fight to predict seeing as I don’t really know what to expect from Santos. Santos has had a tremendous career and he’s enjoyed a ton of success, but he hit a bit of a wall in his last fight especially near the end of the fight.
Unless he pull away early on, he could be in some trouble against Guida if he hits a wall. Guida is going to come on strong in the later rounds because he simply doesn’t run out of energy. So if Santos isn’t far ahead on the scorecards at UFC Vegas 44, the fight is there for Guida to take.
If this was prime Clay Guida, I’d say he has a great shot. However, this isn’t prime Clay Guida. Guida hasn’t shown the same ability to close the distance in recent fights. His takedown attempts aren’t great and his strikes are coming few and far between.
Ultimately, I think the Santos is going to get it done at UFC Vegas 44. I’m expecting some big early moments for Santos. While Guida will definitely score some points throughout, it won’t be enough to win a decision.
Prediction: Leonardo Santos by Unanimous Decision