Popular former UFC star Chris Lytle lost in his bid for the Republican nomination for state senator in his hometown Indiana district.
The former welterweight announced his intention to enter the race around the time of his final fight last August. In the 28th district primary, he had a respectable showing, but finished second in a three-man race.
According to official Indiana results, the winner, Mike Crider, finished with 7,200 votes, Lytle received 5,271 votes, while John Merlau had the support of 5,069.
Lytle was born and raised in Indiana, and currently lives in New Palestine. He also serves as a full-time firefighter in Indianapolis.
In the UFC, Lytle gained a reputation as one of the sport’s fiercest competitors, retiring with a 31-18-5 record last year after submitting Dan Hardy in his last match, which happened to be a main event. In his typical understated fashion, Lytle held off announcing his retirement until as late as possible, handing an envelope to UFC president Dana White during the event’s weigh-ins that confirmed the next night’s fight would be his last.
For his efforts in the octagon, Lytle won 10 nightly bonus awards, still the most of all time. He was 10-9 in his 19 career UFC fights, but retired after winning five of his final six.