MMA Preview – Michael Johnson vs Clay Guida at UFC Vegas 18
MICHAEL JOHNSON VS CLAY GUIDA FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 18? Saturday 6th January, 2021 – 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 18? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 18? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 18 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 18? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
MICHAEL JOHNSON VS CLAY GUIDA LOWDOWN
Michael Johnson (19-16) steps out for his 24th UFC fight and like many veterans, he has found wins hard to come by of late. He is 3-8 in his last 11 but in amongst those losses he does have that stand-out knockout over Dustin Poirer in 2016. A lot has changed since then, and Johnson’s last wins came in 2018 earning a split decision over Andre Fili and a unanimous decision over Artem Lobov. He is on a three-fight skid now but has not looked bad. He was beating Josh Emmett until getting starched in the third round, lost a very close decision to Stevie Ray and dominated Thiago Moises for a round until the Brazilian went full blown jiu-jitsu at the start of the second, jumping on an achilles lock.
Clay Guida (35-20) makes his 30th appearance in the octagon and although he has been given more favourable matchups with fellow UFC veterans, he has proven how hard consistent wins are to achieve at the end of a career. He knocked out Joe Lauzon in 2017 but became one of many of Charles Oliveira’s submission victims. He bagged a unanimous decision over the struggling BJ Penn in 2019 but is now coming off two losses – a submission to Jim Miller and a unanimous decision over Bobby Green which came back in June last year.
MICHAEL JOHNSON VS CLAY GUIDA PREDICTION
These matchups are so much more appealing than feeding veterans to young prospects. They have nothing to prove but there is still a lot of pride at stake.
Guida will bring relentless cardio, wrestling and durability and Johnson will show off his supreme striking, with lightening fast combinations complimented by his movement. They are both more comfortable at lightweight as opposed to featherweight which will aid Guida’s wrestling and Johnson’s punching power.
The key factor will be Johnson’s takedown defence which is 79%. Guida will shoot in for the takedown over and over again and if he succeeds, he can control Johnson, keeping him on his back. However, we back Johnson to stuff the majority of his attempts to allow him to do all the damage on the feet.
Johnson’s boxing and speed is way too much for Guida. Guida is very tough so It will be surprising if Johnson can find a knockout, but we expect him to keep the fight on the feet long enough to break Guida down from range and earn a decision.
Prediction: Johnson via Decision – CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
