The UFC’s upcoming trip to Norfolk, VA is getting a lightweight bout between two of the promotion’s longest tenured action fighters.
Surely this fight has happened before. It must have happened; has to have already been done. Both Clay Guida (33-17) and Joe Lauzon (27-13) entered the UFC as lightweights in 2006 – Guida through the acquisition of the WEC, while Lauzon debuted against Jens Pulver – and neither man has had a year without at least one bout in the promotion since. For those at home, that’s 11 solid years of cage fighting, without ever sharing the Octagon.
That may be, in part, because of the ‘Carpenter’’s 2013 move down to the featherweight division. But, whatever the reason, the fight has finally been made. The UFC announced the booking, for their November 11 event in Norfolk, VA, via press release. The bout adds to a Fox Sports 1 card, expected to be headlined by another lightweight contest, as Dustin Poirier meets former champion Anthony Pettis.
The 35-year-old Guida will enter his bout coming off a solid showing in a decision win over Erik Koch at UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee back in June. The win broke a two-loss streak for the current Team Alpha Male fighter, having been stopped by Thiago Tavares and Brian Ortega before leaving the 145lb division.
On the flip side, ‘J-Lau’ will return to competition looking to bounce back from a loss to Stevie Ray at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov in April. The 33-year-old owner of Lauzon MMA has alternated wins and losses going back to 2014, having beaten Michael Chiesa, Takanori Gomi, Diego Sanchez, and Marcin Held, while dropping bouts to Al Iaquinta, Evan Dunham, Jim Miller, and the aforementioned Ray.
UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis takes place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on November 11th in Norfolk, Virignia. Here’s a look at the card as it stands now.
Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis
Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez
Angela Hill vs. Nina Ansaroff
Nate Marquardt vs. Cezar Ferreira
Darren Stewart vs. Karl Roberson
Jake Collier vs. Marcel Fortuna
Andrei Arlovski vs. Junior Albini
Court McGee vs. Sean Strickland
Clay Guida vs. Joe Lauzon