Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida to headline TUF 9 finale

An intriguing lightweight battle between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida has been signed to headline the live finale for the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter on June 20 at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas.

News of the bout was first reported by Loretta Hunt of Sherdog.com.

Sanchez improved to 20-2 following last month’s unanimous decision victory over Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 in London, England. The win marked Sanchez’s debut at lightweight after having competed at middleweight and welterweight.

The middleweight winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Sanchez is 9-2 in an 11-bout UFC career that includes notable victories over Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz, and Karo Parisyan.

Guida, 25-9, last competed in January at UFC 94. Facing Nate Diaz, Guida handed the TUF 5 veteran his first-ever loss inside of the Octagon after recording a split decision victory.

A veteran of both Strikeforce and King of the Cage, Guida’s lifetime record in the UFC is 5-3 and includes notable victories over Mac Danzig, Marcus Aurelio, and Samy Schiavo.

In addition to Sanchez vs. Guida, a welterweight matchup between Anthony Johnson and John Howard is also reportedly set for the TUF 9 finale. The Spike TV telecast will also include the finals for the welterweight and lightweight divisions that will be featured on this season’s show, which will premiere on April 1 at 10 p.m. ET.