NEWARK, N.J. – Clay Guida has a bold thought about the UFC’s leader for most submission wins.

Guida (35-18 MMA, 15-12 UFC) said he thinks he’ll have the advantage on the ground when he squares off with Jim Miller (30-13 MMA, 19-12 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 5 this Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“No one gets into better scrambles than I do, no one gets out of better scrambles than I do,” Guida said after a Wednesday open workout. “I’ve been taken down. I’ve gotten up against everybody. I’ve taken almost everybody down in a fight except my (current) teammate Chad Mendes – he’s a different kind of athlete. But expect to see some time spent on the canvas and expect (Miller) to be on his back.”

Guida thinks wrestling is a lost art in MMA. He’s chasing the record for most takedowns landed in UFC history. Guida currently is in second place, 33 takedowns behind Gleison Tibau, for most in UFC lightweight history.

“One of my goals in the UFC is to have the most takedowns,” Guida said. “I think we’re like (No.) 3 or 4 on the list – not bad for a kid who was a junior college wrestler. So one of my goals is to have the most fights in the UFC, and have the most takedowns in the UFC, and we’re well on our way to both.”

Guida said he knows he’s in for a fight with Miller, who holds various UFC records, including most submissions, most lightweight appearances, most lightweight wins and most submission attempts in UFC history.

But Guida said Miller may have fought a who’s-who of opponents in his career, but he’s never quite faced a guy like him.

“Jim’s tenacity is a threat to everybody,” Guida said. “People know how I fight and we mirror each other a lot, but he’s never been in there with an animal like me. He’s never been in there with a Tasmanian devil.”

Somehow, the two veterans have never crossed paths in the cage. They have high billing Saturday as the co-main event in a bout that many fans and analysts think will contend for “Fight of the Night.”

“Better late than never,” Guida said. “Miller and I were on a collision course for the last decade. I started my UFC career in 2006 at UFC 64. I believe he was at UFC 68, and he’s the only one who’s got more fights than me, which shows you how busy he’s been and fighting the who’s-who. He hasn’t been fighting C-level fighters. The guy’s been fighting the top dogs in the division for over a decade, and there’s a lot to be said for that. So the fans are going to get what they deserve.”

At 37, Guida thinks he’s just getting started. He has found new life at Team Alpha Male and credits his wrestling background for being able to compete at a high level for years.

“The key to my longevity is being durable, being tough – wrestler tough,” Guida said. “We’re built different than any mixed martial art. We’re built differently than any martial artist or discipline out there. Wrestlers, we’re just tough, man. I recover better than I used to. My training staff, they’ve got me on point. We have calculated workouts.

“I’m in better shape than I was when I was 21. I’m in better shape than I was when I was 25. They say the male peaks in the mid 30’s, and I’m pushing 40 and I feel better than ever.”