The results of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale are in, which aired live from The Pearl at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Spike TV tonight (June 20).

TUF 9 final competitions at welterweight and lightweight resulted in unexpected victories, and the remaining main card fights resulted in the promotion handing out an unexpected (and unprecedented) three Fights of the Night.

It was an entertaining evening of mixed martial arts action to say the least.

Vying for the top contender spot in the lightweight division, Diego Sanchez outlasted a determined Clay Guida in a three-round, absolute war that, honestly, could have gone either way. While Sanchez won the night via split decision (29-28, 29-27, 28-29), Guida showed tremendous heart in the back-and-forth battle.

Widely considered the favorite in the fight, Sanchez came out to take an early lead, landing a tremendous right head kick that rocked Guida and helped The Nightmare control the action in the first round.

The consummate warrior, Guida returned to action in the second round, securing an early takedown and maintaining control of the fight for a significant portion of the round. Near the end of the round, as Guida hovered over Sanchez, blood started flowing, and it was unsure who it was from. Sanchez looked like a bloody War Machine. As the round came to a close, it became clear the cut was the Carpenter’s.

The final frame began with Guida bleeding clearly from the nose. He got the better of the early exchanges, but Sanchez quickly turned the tide, landing several counter strikes and controlling the remainder of the round.

At the end of the day, Sanchez secured the victory and very likely his place among the top of the UFC’s lightweight division, along with Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, who anxiously await the results of UFC 101, where reigning champion BJ Penn squares off against current number one contender Kenny Florian.

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