Sanchez-Guida Agreed for TUF 9 Finale

Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida are heading straight for one another.

The potent lightweight pair has agreed to meet in the headlining bout of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” finale on June 20 at the Pearl inside the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, according to sources close to the fighters. The bout will anchor a night of final deciding bouts for the Spike TV reality series, which begins airing in April.

Sanchez (22-2), a winner of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” acquitted himself well in his 155-pound debut against Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London. The 27-year-old New Mexico native hung tough and outscored the accomplished Stevenson to take the unanimous decision from the TUF 2 winner.

At 170 pounds, Sanchez stockpiled key victories over Joe Riggs, Karo Parisyan, and Nick Diaz. His only two losses have come to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, which prompted his move to lightweight.

Few can match Guida’s intensity and pace in the UFC’s lightweight division. The Chicago-based wrestler has rattled off three straight victories –- to Samy Schiavo, Mac Danzig, and Nathan Diaz –- since his dramatic loss to Roger Huerta at “The Ultimate Fighter 6” finale in December 2007. Guida (25-9) eked out a close spilt decision to Diaz at UFC 94 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.

Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.