UFC on FOX: Is Clay Guida Still an Elite Lightweight?

Clay Guida started his UFC career as "everybody's favorite loser" but eventually became an elite lightweight, but is he still an elite lightweight or has the division passed him by?

Guida was riding a four-fight winning streak and had one helluva hype train going into his fight with Benson Henderson at UFC on FOX (which unfortunately aired on the Facebook prelims rather than on FOX).

The fight was the exciting back-and-forth brawl that fans expected, but Henderson was clearly the better fighter. He was always one move ahead of Guida.

Henderson's victory earned him a shot at UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

Guida's defeated earned him the scorn of bandwagon fans and a heap of criticism about how he isn't an elite lightweight.

Is there truth to this talk?

Some.

Clay Guida is without a doubt one of the best lightweight fighters in the world. He is easily in the top ten and there are a multitude of lightweights that his superlative conditioning and strong, frustrating wrestling can subdue.

However, his abilities won't get him a title; the men at the top of the division are just too good.

Guida is (usually) exciting, a personality and a fan-favorite, but he just doesn't have the tools to be a champion; at every step up in competition, he has failed.

Clay Guida may be in the top one percent of fighters, but champion caliber fighters are in the top one percent of that one percent.

Unfortunately for Guida and his fans, he just isn't good enough.

He'll be remembered as a top lightweight and he certainly deserves to be, but he isn't an all-time great.