UFC on FX 4: Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida Head-to-Toe Breakdown

The likely main event for June's UFC on FX 4 looks to be a battle of perennial top contenders as lightweights Gray Maynard and Clay Guida are set to clash inside the Octagon.

Maynard hasn't fought since being knocked out by then-champion Frankie Edgar last October and he has his sights set on getting back into title contention. Guida finds himself in a similar situation as he looks to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to current champ Benson Henderson at UFC on FOX 1, a loss that cost him a shot at the lightweight crown.

With both fighters hungry for a date with the champion and possessing similar skill sets, it will be interesting to see how this bout pans out. Here is the head-to-toe breakdown of this surefire war. 

Striking

While his hair and overall demeanor may have earned Guida his wild-man reputation, this persona has been solidified by "the Carpenter's" fighting style. Not the most technical striker in the lightweight division, Guida makes up for it with his constant, erratic head movement and otherworldly chin.

Like Guida, striking is not Maynard's forte, but "the Bully" has shown a vast improvement in this area over the years. Specifically in his bouts against Edgar, Maynard has shown great boxing skills and devastating power that will give Guida's chin a run for his money.

It's clear that both fighters are not the best strikers in the world, but because of Maynard's punching power and improved technique, he takes the edge.

Advantage: Maynard

Wrestling

Wrestling is an area of strength for both fighters, as Guida and Maynard have shown great takedowns and top control over the years.

Guida is great at grinding away at guys, using that patented Greg Jackson style to sap the energy from his opponents from on top.  His unrelenting pressure has aided Guida in taking out top competition such as former WEC champion Anthony Pettis and former Pride champion Takanori Gomi.

Before transitioning into MMA, Maynard was a beast on the mats, wrestling alongside former UFC champ Rashad Evans at Michigan State University. "The Bully" has used his wrestling exceptionally well inside the Octagon, grinding out wins against the best of the best in the division, including Jim Miller, Kenny Florian and Edgar in their first bout.

Because of his prestigious pedigree and streak of wins over top-level competition using his wrestling, Maynard takes this one.

Advantage: Maynard

Submissions

Surprisingly, Guida is one of the most underrated submission artists in the lightweight division.  With 29 professional wins under his belt, 15 of them have come via tap out.

Prior to his decision win over Pettis last June, Guida rolled off three straight submission wins over Gomi, Rafael dos Anjos and Shannon Gugerty. The victory over Gugerty earned Guida Submission of the Night honors for the first time in his career, with the win over Gomi earning him this honor for the second time.

While Maynard is a dangerous grappler, he has shown little in the ways of submission attacks during his time in the UFC, with his only career submission win coming in the form of an exhibition bout against Brandon Melendez during his stint on the Ultimate Fighter.

Advantage: Guida

Strength

A daunting lightweight, Maynard has a huge advantage over almost anyone in the division in terms of power and strength.

Against Edgar in virtually all three of their bouts, Maynard was able to push around his smaller opponent and use his powerful strikes to dominate in the early rounds.  While Guida is no slouch, Maynard definitely has the edge in terms of strength.

Advantage: Maynard

Cardio and Conditioning

Maynard may be stronger, but it's hard to find another fighter in any division that can match Guida's cardio and conditioning.

Guida is notorious for his relentless pace and insane conditioning, able to go deep into fights and still look fresh.

Maynard is a solid athlete, but his cardio has come into question in his last few bouts. Able to explode early against Edgar in their second and third matches, Maynard clearly gassed going into the later rounds as "the Bully" virtually punched himself tired.

Guida has the definite edge in this department.

Advantage: Guida

Variables

Maynard: After coming up short in both his title fights, Maynard went back to the drawing board and completely switched up his camp. Moving to American Kickboxing Academy and spending time in Brazil with the famed team Nova Uniao led by UFC champ Jose Aldo, Maynard realized that he had to change things up in order to evolve as a fighter.

It will be interesting to see the adjustments that Maynard makes following all the changes in training partners and teams. If he can integrate the devastating striking skills and world-class jiu-jitsu that Nova Uniao and AKA offer, Maynard may be back into title contention sooner than most think.

Guida: Guida perpetually finds himself a win away from a shot at the title and, unfortunately, has come up short thus far. While his fight with Henderson put on a show, it was clear that Guida has to take his game to another level if he ever wants to wear UFC gold.

Facing a fighter with a similar skill set as himself, it will be interesting to see Guida's game plan. It will be hard for him to keep Maynard on the ground, so an all-out stand-up war is likely on the agenda, and Guida is definitely no stranger in that department.

Prediction

Two hard-nosed wrestlers that are explosive and powerful, this fight will either be an all-out dogfight or a boring, drawn-out affair.

Seeing how Maynard has made drastic changes to his training regiment, it will be interesting to see if he has evolved as a fighter. Also, fans should look out for Guida's game plan, as his usual grinding style will likely be negated by Maynard's takedown defense.

In the end, Maynard's edge in both the wrestling and striking department should be enough to put Guida away, but don't expect "the Carpenter" to go down without a fight.

Prediction: Maynard via unanimous decision.

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