Back in 2009, Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida squared off in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale from the Pearl at the Palms Casino.
Now, almost 10 years later, that bout will get the two inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame.
“There are certain guys that when you match them up, there’s no doubt in your mind that it’s going to be a good fight, and this was one of those fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “This fight represents everything that fans around the world love about UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts. Diego and Clay are two maniacs and as soon as the fight began, they both came out blasting each other, it was crazy! This was an absolute war and both guys gave everything they had for all three rounds. This fight was so good it was named the 2009 Fight of the Year. It is one of the best displays of heart, endurance and will to win that you will ever see. Congratulations to Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida on a fight that will always be remembered as one of the best ever!”
The fight will be honored on Friday, July 5 during the ceremonies in Las Vegas from the same venue. It will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.
Sanchez entered the Octagon with an impressive 22-2 record that included victories over former WEC welterweight champions Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan, former WEC middleweight champion Joe Riggs and 2007 Strikeforce middleweight grand prix champion Jorge Santiago.
“The fight with Guida was really fun,” said Sanchez. “My mentality was that it was time to get street on this wrestler and that’s exactly what I did!”
Guida arrived at the Palms with a 25-6 record and wins over season five winner of The Ultimate Fighter and current UFC welterweight Nate Diaz, season six winner of The Ultimate Fighter Mac Danzig and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson.
“When you take a rampaging beast like Diego Sanchez, and a wild Tasmanian devil like me, you get a recipe for Fight of the Year, and that’s what we gave UFC fans that night,” said Guida. “The fans were the true winners and they deserved it more than anyone. Thank you for inducting this prolific battle into the UFC Hall of Fame! On behalf of my team, family, and friends that helped us prepare for that fight, we are truly honored!”
Sanchez would claim a split decision victory that night on his way to challenging then-UFC champion BJ Penn for the title.