Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez will step into the Octagon in the main event of the Ultimate Fighter Finale Saturday night, and Guida told me that he thinks if he wins, he deserves a shot at the UFC lightweight title. But Sanchez said today that he'd go further than that: He believes he's already the No. 1 contender for the lightweight belt.

"Kenny Florian is coming up on his second title shot, and this is a guy I walked through four years ago," Sanchez said. "I walked through him and it wasn't even a fight, and this is the No. 1 contender. So in my mind, I am the No. 1 contender right now."

Sanchez said he knows the decision of whether he's the next to fight for the title after Florian faces on UFC champion BJ Penn in August isn't up to him, and he obviously needs to beat Guida on Saturday night before he can talk about being next in line for a title shot. But Sanchez does think that he's more than earned it.

"That's up to Dana White and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and the UFC," Sanchez said. "But this is going to be my 15th fight in the Octagon and everyone knows my story: I lost a split decision to Jon Fitch, and I lost a fight to Josh Koscheck when I was sick, and those are my only two losses in my career."

Sanchez added that he'll be pulling for Penn to retain his belt at UFC 101. But no matter who the champion is after the Penn-Florian fight, Sanchez believes he's next in line.