5 current UFC fighters who deserve more respect from fans

#4. Clay Guida – current UFC lightweight contender

Clay Guida’s longevity should earn him more respect than he gets.

Any fighter who can remain part of the UFC’s roster for over a decade deserves plenty of respect. However, given how easily it is for veterans to appear to be washed up, a fighter who can still win inside the octagon after 15 years ought to be idolized by fans.

That’s exactly what Clay Guida – who debuted in the octagon with a win over Justin James way back in October 2006 – did at the end of 2021. He choked out grappling ace Leonardo Santos in the second round of their bout.

Nevertheless, it appears ‘The Carpenter’ is somewhat underappreciated by fans, even though his body of work is almost incomparable in the lightweight division.

To be fair, there are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, not only has Guida never held gold during his lengthy tenure with the promotion, but he has also never claimed a title shot. He has fallen at the final hurdle against opponents like Benson Henderson and Diego Sanchez.

Secondly, ‘The Carpenter’ admittedly hasn’t always been the most exciting fighter to watch. That’s a statement that seems crazy when you consider his legendary battles with the likes of Sanchez and Tyson Griffin.

Purely for his crazy longevity, though, Guida should be one of the most respected fighters in the game. Other combatants might have more octagon appearances than him and plenty of others have more finishes and bonus awards than him. However, given how things have changed in the UFC since his debut, for Guida to even still be competing at all is a genuine marvel.

Therefore, when he competes, fans ought to view Guida as a true legend, and not just overlook him as a career mid-card fighter with a funky hairdo.

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#3. Leon Edwards – current UFC welterweight contender

Fans might disrespect Leon Edwards, but he’s one of the best welterweights of his generation.

Of all the UFC’s current high-level contenders, the fighter who seems to garner the most disrespect from fans is welterweight Leon Edwards.

Sure, it looks like 2022 could finally be the year ‘Rocky’ gets his shot at claiming welterweight gold against current champion Kamaru Usman. However, if some fans had their way, the native of Birmingham, England, would probably be overlooked in favor of a flashier contender.

The likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov have definitely impressed in their octagon appearances. However, they simply can’t match up to the lengthy winning streak Edwards has been on.

‘Rocky’ last fell to defeat in a clash with Usman way back in December 2015. Since then, he has reeled off nine victories, with the only outlier being a No Contest against Belal Muhammad in 2021.

Along the way, Edwards has defeated the likes of Donald Cerrone, Rafael Dos Anjos and Nate Diaz. In the process, he has marked himself as perhaps the toughest challenge for Usman in the welterweight division.

Nevertheless, largely due to his lack of flash on the microphone and highlight-reel finishes, Edwards continually gets overlooked by fans. They prefer to talk about fighters like Diaz and Jorge Masvidal – fighters who are, in truth, probably below ‘Rocky’.

Edwards may well fall short in his quest to become a UFC champion. However, the fact is that he’s definitely one of the best 170 lbers of his generation. To suggest otherwise would simply be a mark of disrespect.