Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 11

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

See what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 11 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

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Curtis Blaydes def. Alexander Volkov via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: “Encounter The Ultimate (Theme From Mortal Kombat)” by The Immortals

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: “25/17” by Zima Mama

Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: “Pain”/”Refuse 2 Lose”/”Sky Is The Limit” by Pusha T/Brotha Lynch Hung/Rebelution

[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag]: “Invincible” by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Ester Dean

Raquel Pennington def. Marion Reneau via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: “Until We Rich” by Ice Cube feat. Krayzie Bone

[autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag]: “Sprinkle Me” by E-40 feat. Suga-T

Belal Muhammad def. Lyman Good via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]: “Remember Me” by Boss Sayf

[autotag]Lyman Good[/autotag]: “Destiny” by NF

Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts via verbal submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:25

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by Kiss

[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: “Thug Life” by Rod Wave

RESULT

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: “On God” by RJMrLA

[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: “5 Minutes Alone” by Pantera

Tecia Torres def. Brianna Van Buren via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]: “Ivy Queen” by Vamos A Guerrear feat. Nengo Flow

[autotag]Brianna Van Buren[/autotag]: “Strong Will Continue” by Nad & Damian Marley

Marc-Andre Barriault def. Oskar Piechota via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:50

[autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: “Grateful” by NEFFEX

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: “Nowiny” by Paktofonika

Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:32

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: “P.I.M.P.” by 50 Cent

[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: “Mr. Officer” by Tee Grizzley feat. Queen Naija

Justin Jaynes def. Frank Camacho via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:41

[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: “People Back Home” by Florida Georgia Line

[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag]: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

Lauren Murphy def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: “Time For Sum Aksion” by Redman

[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag]: “Run” by Foo Fighters

Austin Hubbard def. Max Rohskopf via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: “At My Leisure (Freestyle)” by Steelo Bass

[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag]: “Pony” by Ginuwine

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

UFC on ESPN 11’s Clay Guida wants Nate Diaz rematch: ‘I beat his ass once, I’ll beat his ass again’

Despite already beating him once, Clay Guida wants to run things back with Nate Diaz.

LAS VEGAS – Despite already beating him once, [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] wants to run things back with [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag].

Guida (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) handed Diaz his first octagon loss in 2009 when he edged him a split decision verdict at UFC 94. The pair have had some run-ins since then and Guida admitted he still wants to get his hands on the Stockton native.

“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ll never back down from this one, Nate Diaz has got it coming to him someday,” Guida told reporters Thursday in a virtual media day session. “I beat his ass once, I’ll beat his ass again. If he ever toes the line and they stop protecting him, you know my number, Nate, so don’t be scared, homie. You know where I’m at, buddy.”

Guida faces Diaz’s friend Bobby Green this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 11. They were originally scheduled to fight in June 2018, but the matchup fell through when Green withdrew from the card.

But tensions rose when Guida called Green a “coward” for not fighting him, referring to him as “Bobby Yellow.” Green fired back with some harsh responses, but despite the back-and-forth in the past, the fight isn’t personal for Guida.

“That’s one thing I’ve never been, personal with my opponents,” Guida said. “I don’t know him well enough to dislike him. I don’t dislike anybody, life is too short for that. I know it’s going to be a dogfight, I know Bobby is gonna come prepared, he’s gonna come ready because I know he wants this fight too and he’s a gamer. He wants to put on a show, he’s flashy, he’s a good striker, a good wrestler, a good athlete and it’s gonna be a great fight.”

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5 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 11

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle preps you for UFC on ESPN 11 with the event’s key storylines heading in.

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The run of events at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas continues Saturday night with UFC on ESPN 11.

The cards put on by the promotion since the schedule resumed in late April have run the gamut from the exciting to, well, the considerably less than exciting. That’s simply how things will play out in a mad scramble to put together shows amid all sorts of coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions at a time the company is laser-focused on getting in its full slate of 2020 cards.

This time around, we can say with confidence the card, on paper, appears to be solid from top to bottom, with plenty of reason to tune in from the opening fight on up to the main event.

In the that main event, an important heavyweight bout will take place as the division rounds back into shape, with [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag], who has been knocking on the door awhile, taking on former Bellator champion [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]. 

Without further ado, here are five burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 11.

****

Where will the Blaydes-Volkov winner land?

Curtis Blaydes

Imagine, for a moment, that Volkov (31-7 MMA,  5-1 UFC) doesn’t lose focus during the closing seconds of a UFC 229 fight with Derrick Lewis he had all but sealed. Had Lewis not landed a buzzer-beater knockout, Volkov would be on an eight-fight win streak, six in the UFC, and no doubt high in the title mix.

As for Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC)? Well, there’s no doubt about his “what if:” Blaydes is 8-2 in the UFC, and both of those losses have come to Francis Ngannou, which isn’t exactly a pair of defeats for which one should be ashamed.

The top of the heavyweight division is once again coming back online, with champion Stipe Miocic and former titleholder Daniel Cormier set to meet Aug. 15. Presumably, Ngannou is next in line now that the mania of a potential Jon Jones fight has come and gone.

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Blaydes is coming off his biggest career win with an impressive second-round stoppage of former champ Junior Dos Santos in January. Volkov shook off his shocking loss to Lewis, defeated Greg Hardy in November, and can prove he’s still a face near the top of the division with a win.

The winner of this fight isn’t going to vault ahead of Ngannou in the pecking order, but a strong performance here could put the winner in position to get into position should anything go awry in the UFC’s title plans.

Bobby Green: Nate Diaz friendship adds personal element to Clay Guida fight at UFC on ESPN 11

Bobby Green’s disdain for Clay Guida hasn’t completely gone away ahead of UFC on ESPN 11.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] admits some of his disdain for [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] has fizzled nearly two years after they were first scheduled to fight, but the personal element is still there.

Green (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) and Guida (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) were originally scheduled to fight in June 2018, but the matchup fell apart when Green withdrew from the card, and Guida went on to suffer a quick submission loss to replacement opponent Charles Oliveira.

The tension spilled over after the bout, though, when Guida called Green a “coward” for not fighting him and referred to him as “Bobby Yellow.” That didn’t sit well with Green, who fired back with some intense messages, including that Guida got “punk’d worse than CM Punk” in reference to the former WWE star who lost by decision on the same UFC 225 card.

Fast forward to present day, where the pair are finally scheduled to share the octagon at UFC on ESPN 11. Green, however, said he’s been forced to channel his emotions going into Saturday’s ESPN-televised card at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“Yes and no,” Green told reporters, including MMA Junkie, when asked if things are personal with Guida during UFC on ESPN 11 virtual media day. “Because at the end it’s just business. It’s just business in the aspect that I’m going to beat you up no matter what, so I’m not worried about who said what, because at the end of the day you’ve got to come in and see me, and you’ve got to pay for what you said. I keep telling myself not to get too emotional with like, ‘Hey, what were you saying?’ Then you take (a punch).”

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Green said his issues with Guida stem less from himself and more from his friend, Nate Diaz. There’s a history with Guida handing Diaz his first octagon defeat at UFC 94 in January 2009. The pair have had some run-ins since then, and Green said he doesn’t like how Guida has conducted himself.

“Nate (Diaz) is like a cousin to me,” Green said. “I used to live on Nate’s couch. He let me sleep on his couch for free for like two weeks while I trained with him and stuff. Nate and him got into it, so to me it’s like, ‘Ah, I’ll give him a one up for my dog, really.’ In that way it’s personal.”

For Green, UFC on ESPN 11 represents a critical moment in his career. He’s got just one victory in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014. All but one of those losses have been relatively competitive decisions, though, and Green intends to make some adjustments in his approach to ensure there’s a bigger gap.

“I can’t let these fights get close,” Green said. “I’m like a quarterback, and I’m making these calls and these decisions, and there’s a lot of risk in fighting. So, sometimes I tend not to take those risks because you can blow the whole opportunity. I played it safe thinking, ‘Oh, the judges will see, and the judges will know.’ They don’t know, and they don’t see, so maybe I’ll take more risks to show my true me. This fight you’re going to see a lot more flashy stuff. It’s going to be on.”

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UFC on ESPN 11 pre-event facts: Jim Miller matches Donald Cerrone’s record for most fights

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 11, which features a Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov main event.

The UFC puts on its eighth card since the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 11, which takes place at the UFC Apex and airs on ESPN/ESPN+.

In the main event, heavyweight contenders [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will battle to see who moves one step closer to a title shot.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 11.

* * * *

Main event

Curtis Blaydes

Blaydes’ three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Francis Ngannou (four) and August Sakai (four).

Blaydes has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his eight UFC victories.

Blaydes absorbs 1.86 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Blaydes has achieved 43:03 of top control time in UFC heavyweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Randy Couture (51:19).

Blaydes completes 55.6 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).

Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is third highest in UFC history.

Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.

Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.

Alexander Volkov

Volkov is a former Bellator heavyweight champion.

Volkov is 7-1 since his final Bellator bout in June 2015.

Volkov’s average fight time of 15:00 in UFC heavyweight competition is tied for second longest in divisional history behind Blagoy Ivanov (17:00).

Volkov has earned 23 of his 31 career victories by stoppage.

Volkov lands 6.19 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Cain Velasquez (6.48).

Volkov defends 59.5 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Volkov defends 82.8 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Co-main event

Josh Emmett

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is 4-1 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in October 2017.

Emmett has landed eight knockdowns in his past five fights.

Emmett’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11).

Emmett’s four knockdowns of Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118 are tied for third most in a UFC fight. Only Stephens (five) at UFC 215 and Forrest Petz (five) at UFC Fight Night 6 have scored more knockdowns in a fight.

Emmett is the only fighter in UFC history to land four knockdowns in a single round. He accomplished the feat against Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118.

Emmett defends 72 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) defends 90.9 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jose Aldo (91 percent).

Burgos lands 7.09 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Remaining main card

Raquel Pennington at UFC 246. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Pennington’s total fight time of 2:52:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.

Pennington’s seven victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (11).

Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).

Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.

[autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag] (9-5-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC), 43, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Reneau competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Pennington (12) and Nunes (12).

Reneau, at 40, became the oldest female fighter to earn a UFC victory when she defeated Sara McMann at UFC on FOX 28.

Reneau’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Nunes (eight) and Rousey (six).

Reneau defends 65.2 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Germaine de Randamie (66.5 percent) and Liz Carmouche (65.8 percent).

Reneau’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).

Reneau’s victory at the 4:54 mark of Round 3 against Talita Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 115 is the second latest stoppage in a three-round UFC women’s bantamweight fight behind Lauren Murphy’s win at 4:55 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 83.

Reneau fought to the first draw in a women’s UFC fight when she met Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 106.

Jim Miller

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) competes in his 35th UFC bout, tied with Donald Cerrone for the most appearances in company history.

Miller’s total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.

Miller’s 20 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping for third most in company history behind Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).

Miller’s 19 victories in UFC lightweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Miller’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13).

Miller’s nine submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.

Miller’s 42 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.

Miller’s 11 fight-night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in divisional history behind Cerrone (15) and Lauzon (15).

[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 21-day stretch. He defeated Brok Weaver at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30.

Preliminary card

Clay Guida

[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) is 3-2 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.

Guida’s 51 takedowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (84) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (57).

Guida has achieved 1:41:52 of control time in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. His 1:18:00 of top position time of also most in divisional history.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) is 1-5 (with one no contest) in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014.

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]’ (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) competes in her 12th UFC strawweight bout, the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (15), Randa Markos (14) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (13).

Torres’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Torres’ four-fight losing skid in UFC strawweight competition is tied with Kailin Curran for longest in divisional history.

[autotag]Marc Andre Barriault[/autotag]’s (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Cortney Casey

[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) makes her second UFC appearance in a 35-day stretch. She beat Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16.

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Katlyn Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.

Robertson’s average fight time of 5:49 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is the shortest in divisional history.

Robertson’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chookagian (five) and Valentina Shevchenko (five).

Robertson’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Robertson’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Montana De La Rosa for most in divisional history.

[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC lightweight division in November 2017.

Mexanne Modafferi

[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.

Modafferi’s average fight time of 15:35 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is longest in divisional history.

Modafferi has earned 34:09 of control time in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the most in divisional history.

Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past seven fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 246 in January.

[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.

Murphy is one of five female fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a knee strike. She accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 5.

[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Clay Guida vs. Bobby Green joins UFC’s June 20 lineup

A lightweight matchup between Clay Guida and Bobby Green is the latest addition to the UFC’s June 20 event.

A lightweight matchup is the latest addition to the UFC’s June 20 event.

[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] will face [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup after an initial post from Guida on social media.

The event will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is expected to stream live on ESPN+.

The pair were previously scheduled to fight at UFC 225 in June 2018, but Green was forced out due to injury and replaced by Charles Oliveira, who submitted Guida in Round 1.

Since moving back up to lightweight, Guida (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) has gone 3-2 with wins over Erik Koch, Joe Lauzon and B.J. Penn. He last competed in August 2019, when he was submitted by Jim Miller in the first round.

Green (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) has lost two of his last three and is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Francisco Trinaldo last November in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His last win was over two years ago, when he defeated Koch via unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 27.

The current June 20 lineup includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Raquel Pennington vs. Marion Reneau
  • Roxanne Modafferi vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Shane Burgos vs. Josh Emmett
  • Lyman Good vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Cortney Casey vs. Gillian Robertson
  • Tecia Torres vs. Brianna Van Buren
  • Frank Camacho vs. Matt Frevola
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota
  • Austin Hubbard vs. Joe Solecki
  • Bobby Green vs. Clay Guida

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UFC free fight: Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida serve up a fight for the ages

When Diego Sanchez faced Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, many expected fireworks. They weren’t disappointed.

When [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] was matched against [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, many expected fireworks. They weren’t disappointed.

The matchup between the two high-energy lightweights seemed like a guarantee of all-action violence, and the intense staredown between the pair before the action got underway served as a tantalizing teaser for the chaos that was to follow.

Sanchez came out the gate seemingly hell-bent on securing a quickfire finish as the inaugural winner of The Ultimate Fighter threw everything he had at “The Carpenter” in the early exchanges. Guida was dropped, and badly rocked, when Sanchez connected with a huge head kick early in the round. But, despite swarming his opponent, Sanchez just couldn’t find a way to finish the ludicrously durable Guida as the bout somehow made it to the end of the first round.

The fight looked a mere formality for Sanchez at that point, but Guida returned like a man possessed in Round 2 and turned the tables on Sanchez in dramatic fashion. Guida’s relentless attack eventually saw him take “The Nightmare” to the canvas, where he dominated from top position. But the action was still back and forth, even though Sanchez was pinned to the mat. A flurry of Sanchez elbows from his back ensured Guida didn’t come away from his period of positional dominance unscathed as the pair returned to their respective corners at the end of the round bathed in blood.

It put the fight on a knife-edge and set up a thrilling final round as the two all-action lightweights left everything in the octagon in a breathless finale. Guida had arguably the edge in terms of wrestling, but Sanchez’s approach was perhaps more geared to earning the finish as he landed the harder shots and threatened with submissions.

Eventually, the judges were called into action and, perhaps understandably, they returned a mixed bag of scores, with Sanchez taking the split-decision verdict with scores of 28-29, 29-27, 29-28 after one of the most incredible battles ever seen inside the octagon.

The fight has since been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, with the pair accepting the honor at the 2019 ceremony during International Fight Week last July. It remains one of the octagon’s classic battles and one that continues to thrill, even on multiple viewings.

Relive the classic battle between Sanchez and Guida via the video above.

Quintet Ultra lineups set, include Sean O’Malley vs. Takanori Gomi, Chad Mendes vs. ‘JZ’ Cavalcante

The lineups are set for Thursday’s Quintet Ultra team grappling event, and the opening matchups include a few intriguing contests.

The lineups are set for Thursday’s Quintet Ultra team grappling event, and the opening matchups include a few intriguing contests.

Weigh-ins for the event took place Wednesday at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas, with each five-member team expected to weigh-in under 950 pounds combined. That didn’t prove an issue, with Team WEC registering 947.2 pounds, Team Strikeforce just behind at 946.6 pounds, Team UFC at 942.2 pounds and Team PRIDE the smallest at 936.6 pounds.

Featuring a unique 5-on-5 team grappling concept where the winning grappler of each match stays on the mat, Quintet Ultra takes place Thursday at the same venue and streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

In the opening round of the tournament, Team UFC takes on Team PRIDE, while Team WEC vs. Team Strikeforce.

Team UFC will send out fast-rising bantamweight prospect [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] as their first representative, while Team PRIDE counters with former PRIDE lightweight champ [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag].

On the other side of the bracket, Team WEC is starting with three-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], while Team Strikeforce opens with two-time K-1 HERO’s middleweight grand prix champion and former Titan FC lightweight champ [autotag]Gesias Cavalcante[/autotag], the man best known as “JZ.”

In each match, the winning grappler stays on to take on the next representative from the opposing team. In case of a draw, both fighters are eliminated.

The two winning teams from the opening round matchups meet in the finals to close out the night.

Full team orders include:

TEAM UFC

1. Sean O’Malley
2. [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (captain)
5. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]

vs.

TEAM PRIDE

1. Takanori Gomi
2. [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Gregor Gracie[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Yves Edwards[/autotag]
5. [autotag]Kazushi Sakuraba[/autotag] (captain)

TEAM WEC

1. Chad Mendes (captain)
2. [autotag]Mark Munoz[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]
5. [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]

vs.

TEAM STRIKEFORCE

1. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
2. [autotag]Jake Shields[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Muhammed Lawal[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] (captain)
5. [autotag]Renato Sobral[/autotag]