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For a relatively small venue, The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas generated an ear-splitting level of noise from fight fans as Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida went to war for 15 torrid minutes this past June. But above all the cheers, one voice was just a bit louder than the others, that of Debbie Guida, Clay’s mother.

“She gets into it sometimes more than the fighters,” said Clay Guida with a smile before adding, “It’s pretty awesome.”

It sure is.

In a sport where mothers tend to look away from the sight of their baby boys getting punched, kicked, and choked during the course of a mixed martial arts fight, Guida not only has his mother there for him, but also his father, his brother (and fellow pro fighter Jason), and various other family members who basically bring an Italian army to each fight. And in a grueling battle like the ones Guida has made his name from, having that type of support is priceless.

“I can’t tell them how much I truly appreciate it,” he said. “Words can’t express it, and sometimes fighting can’t either. It’s nice to know that they’re there for me 110%. They’re nervous – they’re human and they have a heartbeat and everything – but they’re more supportive than anybody. It makes it easier for me to train, and I’m always getting positive feedback from them. When I go home after the gym and I talk to them, they’re like ‘how’s everything, what are you doing, what are you picking up?’ They’re actually like teammates.”

That’s rare, and Guida has heard that from plenty of folks that he’s run into over the course of his six year pro career.

“Some parents are against it, and that’s fine because this is not for everybody,” he said. “It’s a little different sport than playing basketball or even football. My mom would scream her heart out at football games, wrestling matches, baseball games, but nothing compares to mixed martial arts. My parents are totally behind me and it makes it all the more easy to go out there and do what I love. I know they love watching it and they do get extremely emotional, but I think they’re the biggest supporters and fans of the sport and of all the fighters. They love everybody.”

And truth be told, it makes it a little easier to get into the fights when you’re watching the type of fights Guida has made his trademark since he got into the UFC – high-impact, high-energy scraps that make you forget who the winner or loser is because frankly, it doesn’t matter. The Sanchez vs Guida fight was a prime example of a fight that was so entertaining that the final result (Sanchez via split decision) is a mere footnote to the 15 minutes that preceded it.

“It was something special,” agreed Guida. “It takes two fighters and I thank him (Sanchez) for putting on a war and a great performance, and that was one of those fights for the ages. People are gonna remember that like – and I hate to use my name in the same sentence – some of the Randy Couture-Chuck Liddell fights. I know I’ll be at that level one day, but those guys fight in a whole different building. But as far as some of the battles I’ve had, I think you could put that fight up there with just about any of them, and you’re gonna get people to say, ‘yeah, I remember that one.’ I think we made a lot of fans in that fight, and that’s what it’s all about.”

What made the fight so special was that it had the drama and intensity you hope to see in any prizefight. The old-timers talk about the classic boxing matches from the 50s, and if mixed martial arts existed back then, you could have turned Sanchez vs Guida, as well as Guida’s Fight of The Year epic with Roger Huerta in 2007, into black and white, and it would have been at home with any of the brawls that used to get piped into people’s living rooms back in the early days of television. And it all started with the weigh-in, where you could cut the tension with the night as the two lightweight standouts stared each other down.

“The whole atmosphere just got everybody going,” said Guida. “And the thing with Diego was no lack of respect at all; in fact, I have the utmost respect for him. It was just the intensity, and the staredown at the weigh-ins was just crazy.”

It carried over to the fight, and once the first heated exchanges got the fans roaring, they never stopped.

“It was like someone was shooting at me the whole time and I was just trying to get out of the way,” said Guida of the early sequence when Sanchez unloaded everything – including the kitchen sink – on ‘The Carpenter.’ “It’s really hard to explain that battle, because I obviously took that barrage of punches, kicks and knees in the beginning, and that head kick right to the jaw. But I battled back and showed people what being a true warrior is all about. I’ll never say die and nothing’s gonna chip my armor. I’m just gonna come back and battle harder. It’s not gonna be pretty, and most of my fights aren’t, but we’re gonna keep fans cheering for me, and I think that’s what the UFC loves.”

But even after all the critical and popular acclaim, there is what happens after the final bell, and for Guida, that meant his fourth Octagon loss and a UFC slate that now sits at 5-4. That could be cause for panic from some fighters, but Illinois’ Guida is no mindless brawler unable to adapt to the current situation. For him, creeping close to .500 meant that it was time to re-assess everything and make some adjustments.

Next stop? Albuquerque, New Mexico to work with the Maestro himself, Greg Jackson, and his band of MMA stalwarts.

“I think every professional athlete needs to venture out a little bit and see what else is out there,” said the 28 year old Guida. “I think that anyone who has tunnel vision in their training is very limited and I don’t want to have a ceiling in my training. There’s nothing that’s gonna hold me back. Everyone knows me for my cardio, but now I’m gonna be known for getting back to finishing fights. I haven’t lost a step since the Diego fight, and that just motivated me even more. And now I’m out here with new faces, new friends and training partners. Gilbert Grappling and Midwest Training Center will always be my home, but I think every professional athlete owes it to himself to see what else is out there, get out of his comfort zone, and test themselves.”

The timing is perfect for the move because this Saturday, while Sanchez challenges BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight crown, Guida is getting back in the mix with a high-profile bout of his own against recent title challenger Kenny Florian.

“This is gonna be THE fight,” says Guida with no hesitation. “The main event’s gonna be awesome, but Kenny and I is gonna be another awesome fight. You’ve got two guys who don’t have similar styles – Diego and I had pretty similar styles – but Kenny and I are almost complete opposites. He’s a pinpoint striker, a technician, he doesn’t mind fighting off his back and he’s very good on top at finishing people. Where with me, I’m gonna push the pace and make you slip up and make a mistake, and get the fight to where I want it. I know where I’m dangerous, and everybody knows where I’m dangerous. We have two different styles that are going to make for another amazing battle. And in the end, the fans are gonna win this one.”

That’s Clay Guida, always thinking of the fans and how to make sure they leave the arena buzzing about his fights. But he knows that when Saturday comes, he needs to be a little selfish. He needs to stop worrying about everybody else and just focus on getting a win for himself. He’s fine with that notion, and he knows what a win over a respected contender like Florian will do in terms of a boost for his career.

“I think a win over Kenny sets me apart from the rest of the pack and I think it’s going to prove to myself that I can perform in big fights,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had big fights and I’ve won, but in both main events (against Sanchez and Huerta) I came up just a little bit short. This isn’t a main event, but to me it’s the biggest fight of my life. Every fight is more important than the last, but this one is going to set me apart from the rest of the division and put me back in there with names like BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, and guys like that, and I’m gonna be running full steam ahead and looking for the next big test ahead. I think the best is yet to come for me. People have seen little bits and pieces and highlights and bright spots in my fighting career, but now I believe that I’m going to be a complete fighter and improve more than my opponents and in more dominant fashion.”

And expect the Guida family to be there every step of the way.