UFC 117 – Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos Prediction

Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Odds:  (-130 Guida /even Dos Anjos )

Betting Pick:  Clay Guida

The third bout of the evening is a very competitive Lightweight bout between submission ace Rafael Dos Anjos and frenetic wrestler Clay “The Carpenter” Guida. Dos Anjos’ ground game is top notch, but Guida’s pace and wrestling are extremely difficult to deal with, so this is an interesting matchup.

Dos Anjos is one of the most dangerous grapplers in the Lightweight division. His standup is not great, but he is an extremely prolific submission finisher who can work his jiu-jitsu game from any position. He has shown some trouble dealing with dominant wrestlers, though, and Guida is notoriously hard to deal with.

Guida, who is known for his wild mop of hair and his unstoppable fighting pace, is a very accomplished wrestler who also has some very underrated jiu-jitsu. He can probably give Dos Anjos trouble in the standup also, just because of the relentless pace he sets. His best work is undeniably from top position on the ground, though.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that this fight is going to wind up on the ground, either because Guida scores a takedown or dos Anjos pulls guard to avoid Guida’s constant forward movement on the feet. The question is whether or not Dos Anjos can catch a submission underneath Guida’s relentless top game or whether Guida will overwhelm him with cardio and ground and pound. Dos Anjos is wily on the ground so he probably won’t get totally overwhelmed, but I think Guida’s submission defense is good enough to hold him off for the decision win.

Prediction:  Clay “The Carpenter” Guida via unanimous decision.

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