Clay Guida Doesn’t Want to Be Fighting When He’s Forty

Clay Guida spoke with MMAjunkie after his win over Erik Koch at UFC Fight Night 112. Highlights are below:

On retirement: “As long as I’m having fun and I feel like I’m improving, there’s always going to be those bumps in the road. I never look at it as ‘It’s a young man’s game,’ because I’m still young. I’m in my mid-30’s. The scientists do studies, they say the male is in their peak at in the mid-30’s still. I feel like I’m at a very strong class, very competitive. But I feel as strong as I ever have. And I’m improving with the coaching staff at Team Alpha Male and we’re getting better every day out there.”

On returning to lightweight: “I think the 145 thing was maybe a pride thing for me. Just to say ‘I know I can make it, I know I can stay there and be competitive.’ I beat some good guys, I lost to some good guys. For me, it was kind of a wrestlers’ thing. ‘I can make the weight, I’m stubborn, I wrestled at 149 in college, I can make 145 and be tough there.’ But being tough isn’t always the right recipe. Winning is the right recipe.”

On how long he’ll be around: “I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 40. I love Fedor for being the man that he is, and I feel like the dude sits in the locker room, plays cards in his jeans with his feet up, eats a 12-pack of donuts and they say, ‘Alright Fedor, you’re on.’ He just jumps up, goes out and fights, and that’s just awesome. He’s a master. (But) that’s not for everybody. I don’t want to be fighting when I’m 40. I want to be coaching and helping coach wrestling and things like that. And watching all this stables of fighters we have improve.”