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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 9 FINALE VS. CLAY GUIDA
https://ufcfightpass.com/video/30290
This fight was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019 and it only takes about 12 seconds of watching it back to understand why. From the jump, this one was all-out, frenetic action and there was no point where it let up.
Honestly, if I was tasked with making a list of the best individual rounds in UFC history, the first round of this fight would most likely man the No. 1 spot; it’s that good. This fight took place more than a decade ago and I’m not sure I’ve seen a blow that I was sure was going to end the fight but didn’t like the kick Guida ate midway through the opening round.
If the opening round wasn’t enough to cement this fight in the pantheon of all-time greats, the ground-and-pound battle in the closing moments of the second certainly helped get it there, as Sanchez unleashed savage elbows from the bottom while Guida tried to maul him from top position.
In the third, their hands and bodies were tinted red by all the blood that had been spilled over the opening 10 minutes, they stayed after it, smashing each other with strikes in space before settling in for a tight final minute on the canvas, where Sanchez hunted for submissions and Guida defended before finishing out the frame with a couple heavy shots from on top.
Sanchez walked away with the split decision victory, both men took home a well-earned Fight of the Night bonus, and the contest landed at the top of myriad Fight of the Year lists before being enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame last summer.
https://ufcfightpass.com/video/30647
While the other fights on this list are all victories for Sanchez, this is one where he landed on the wrong side of the results, but it still stands out as one of his best performances inside the Octagon because it showcases the indomitable will that continues to propel him into the cage to this day.
Melendez handily won the opening round, controlling the striking exchanges and opening up a sizeable cut over the left eye of Sanchez, but it only seemed to spur him on. Once the blood started spilling down his face, Sanchez went on the offensive, landing his best strikes of the round and seemingly stinging Melendez to the body before eating one on the chin that sat him down right before the horn.
The action in the second was more of the same, with Melendez landing the better blows throughout, but Sanchez having a few quality moments of his own and refusing to go away. As the third began, Melendez was fully in charge, which forced Sanchez to wade into the fire, looking to land a fight-changing blow.
About a minute into the round, the two veterans just started slinging and once again, it seemed to draw out the best from Sanchez, who called for more and chased down Melendez, the left side of his face coated in blood. After a pause in the action to check on the gnarly cut over Sanchez’ left eye midway through the final stanza, these two really started to get after it, trading punches before Sanchez landed a right uppercut that sent Melendez crashing to the canvas.
Sanchez chased him to the ground, hunting for submissions, but couldn’t find one, and they ended up back on their feet, with the crowd at the Toyota Center joining them. When the 10-second clacker sounded, both men planted their feet and started firing, trading bombs through to the horn.
Though he landed on the wrong side of the scorecards, there is no way to put together a list of the greatest fights in Diego Sanchez’ career without including this epic encounter in Houston, Texas. Lesser men would have wilted at various points throughout the contest, but Sanchez never stopped pressing forward, trading bombs with the former Strikeforce champion for 15 wildly entertaining minutes.