Author: By Thomas Gerbasi

MILWAUKEE, WI – At this moment, fighters around the UFC are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that now they have a better chance of winning a post-fight bonus. The reason for this reaction was Saturday’s news that longtime welterweight standout Chris “Lights Out” Lytle, the King of the post-fight award, has informed the UFC that his Sunday fight with Dan Hardy in the main event of UFC Live at Bradley Center will be his last.

The decision comes after more than 12 years in a sport that the Indiana native has given his life to. And while there are many who claim to leave it all in the ring every time out, Lytle actually did it, and though some will say there are better records than his 40-18-4, none had more blood, sweat, and tears invested in them than Lytle’s.

But with a wife and four children to spend more quality time with, as well as a possible run for political office in 2012 upcoming, the soon-to-be 37 year old realized that it was the right time to hang up the gloves. You can rest assured that Lytle’s feelings about the fight night and the sport haven’t changed though.

As he told me in the lead-up to the Hardy bout, “That is the fun part for me. That’s really the payoff and the part I enjoy. I can usually do a good job of pretending nobody else is there, I’m not being watched by anybody, and I’m just in there with that one person, and we’re just fighting.”

The rest of it? He could probably do without. A full-time fireman for the Indianapolis Fire Department as well as husband and father, Lytle’s life as a fighter in the formative years of the sport saw him able to get away with one training session a day. But after appearing on (and making it to the finals of) The Ultimate Fighter’s fourth season in 2006, he realized that to keep up with the young guns of the sport, especially in the welterweight division, he would have to change his lifestyle considerably.

“I gotta tell you, it became real hard now,” said Lytle back in 2006. “Just being on the show let me kinda realize how I need to be training. Before, I never really trained more than once a day. I’m incorporating that into my training now, and it’s really, really difficult for me right now to achieve everything. I’m trying to go to work, trying to spend time with my family, and trying to get my training in. I have absolutely zero time for anything else. My friends ask me to do things and I can’t do anything.”

The results were revealing though. Following his razor-thin decision loss to Matt Serra in the TUF4 finale, Lytle ran off an 8-5 record, with eight of those bouts resulting in a Fight of the Night (five times), Submission of the Night (two times) or Knockout of the Night (once) bonus. Only one other fighter has achieved such excellence in the Art of Excitement, and that’s middleweight champion and pound-for-pound boss Anderson Silva.

Not too shabby.

More importantly, it was the loss to Serra (one later avenged in 2010) that changed the way Lytle fought forever, making his a must see for anyone interested in seeing not just a fighter looking to win, but a fighter looking to win in memorable fashion.

“I don’t think people can understand the amount of pressure, though I don’t know if that’s the right word,” he said in 2010, recalling the first Serra bout. “I trained for a long time and there was a lot of money on the line and a title shot and I spent six weeks on that show for one reason – to make a lot of money for my family and to get a title shot. A lot was on the line and the same thing goes for Matt. So going into that fight, I never thought anything besides stop the takedown and don’t lose. If you stop the takedown, he can’t beat you. It was all about me not losing the fight, instead of me saying I was gonna try to knock him out or submit him and win. And it was the same thing for him. Neither one of us went out there to win; we went out there to not lose. And it was a close fight, a split decision, and it was hard to score because nobody went out there to win. After that fight, I said not only does the loss really hurt me, but it felt even worse because I didn’t even go out there and fight the way I wanted to fight. I said no matter what, I’m gonna fight the way I like; if I win, if I lose, whatever, at least I can go out and say I fought my way. And since I started fighting that way, I feel like I’m fighting better, it’s been more exciting, people like it, and I don’t feel as if there’s as much pressure on me.”

Winner of four in a row over Kevin Burns, Brian Foster, Matt Brown, and Serra in 2009-10, Lytle was going through a late-career resurgence until a decision loss to Brian Ebersole in February of this year (albeit another Fight of the Night winner) snapped the streak. One streak that has remained untouched over the last 12-plus years is the one of Lytle as good guy of the game. One of the few people that no one has anything bad to say about, “Lights Out” is as genuine as it gets. Even all his opponents like him. And for someone as accessible with the media as Lytle is, I was still able to stump him once when I asked in 2010 if he ever had bad blood with anyone he fought.

“I’m sure there’s had to be,” he laughed.  “I can’t think of anybody I’ve intensely disliked. There have been some who may have rubbed me the wrong way or I didn’t like the way they carried themselves, but I can’t really think of any I really disliked. I don’t necessarily know too much about these people and I think I’ve had a reputation for a long time as being a pretty respectful guy, so everybody usually treats me pretty respectfully. Even a lot of guys who I’ve heard bad things about, they tend to treat me pretty good, so if that’s all I know about them, I try not to judge them on what I hear. So if they treat me good, I have a hard time disliking them.”

And it would be impossible to dislike Lytle, in or out of the Octagon. You could selfishly want him to stick around so that you could see some more instant classics from a man who made that his M.O., but after a career full of giving to the fight community, it’s time for him to take something for himself and his family, and no one deserves it more.

It’s also been forgotten that in addition to everything else Lytle has done over the years, he also went 13-1-1 as a pro boxer from 2002 to 2005, earning a top 30 ranking in the WBC and even a call from another reality show, NBC’s “The Contender.” So while he has never held a UFC championship belt, he is still leaving an enviable legacy in the world of combat sports.

As for tonight’s bout with Hardy, expect the same thing you always did with Lytle – a fight. Win or lose, he will give everything he has from bell to bell. That has never changed and that’s the easy part for him. The tough part will be the first fight card without his name on it. As he said before the second Serra bout, the sport eventually becomes more than just a sport.

“I don’t know if the word is that I’m addicted to it, but I just love to compete, and there’s nothing I’ve ever found to equal the overall feeling you get after you’ve struggled so much and put so much into something and then come out on top and achieve something,” he said. “Most of the goals you have in your life never become tangible at one point, but this does. You put everything into this one fight that you’re training for, and when you win it, it’s like everything you worked for in your whole life has been successful. It’s a great feeling. So I’m kind of addicted to that feeling.”

And fight fans have become addicted to Chris Lytle fights. So enjoy this one. You know he will.

MILWAUKEE, WI, August 14 – One thing stayed intact in Jared Hamman’s move from light heavyweight to middleweight, and that’s his penchant for exciting fights. The new wrinkles in his game against CB Dollaway Sunday night were the ability to keep the pace high and finish, as he thrilled fans at Bradley Center, stopping The Ultimate Fighter veteran in the second round. Watch post-fight interview

Both fighters traded hard shots in the early going, with Dollaway using a couple flush punches to the head to set up his first takedown of the bout. Hamman got back to his feet, but a relentless Dollaway kept the pressure on and took him to the canvas again. This time “The Doberman” locked on an arm triangle, and after being in trouble for more than a few seconds, Hamman got free. Dollaway rewarded “The Messenger” for his escape with a couple hard ground strikes, but again Hamman got out of danger and back to his feet. A return trip to the mat saw Hamman in control as he got the mount position and then took Dollaway’s back, but it was Dollaway getting the last word, as he got up, rocked Hamman standing with two right hands and then ended the round with a series of strikes on his grounded opponent.

There was no let up to the ferocious pace set in the first round, and Hamman looked to have the upper hand as he unloaded punches on Dollaway as he pinned him against the fence. Dollaway was eventually able to score a takedown, but Hamman refused to let up from the top position, causing referee Herb Dean to watch the action closely for a stoppage. Midway through the round, Hamman got the mount position and unleashed more strikes, but Dollaway showing just enough situational awareness to prevent the stoppage. Eventually though the barrage of unanswered blows was too much, and Dean halted the bout at 3:38 of the round.

With the win, Hamman improves to 13-3; Dollaway falls to 12-5.

WINELAND vs. BENAVIDEZ

Bantamweight contender Joseph Benavidez showed off an impressive standup game against striker Eddie Wineland, winning a shutout three round unanimous decision over the former WEC champion. Watch post-fight interview

“That’s what I train for,” said the Sacramento resident, “to be great everywhere.”

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Benavidez, who improved to 15-2; Wineland falls to 18-8-1.

Wineland’s striking was sharp at the start of the bout, allowing him to keep Benavidez at bay. But once Benavidez began to find his range with leg kicks, he moved his attack upstairs, rocking Wineland with a right, and then bloodying Wineland’s nose with a shot that drew oohs from the crowd. The blood brought a sense of urgency from Wineland, but he was unable to draw even with the sharpshooting Benavidez.

Aggressively stalking his foe to begin the second, Wineland almost found the opening he needed when Benavidez turned his back on the Indiana veteran to protest an inadvertent eye poke. Wineland pounced, but Benavidez easily tied him up, gained a couple second break and threw Wineland off. With seconds remaining in the round, Benavidez finally scored a takedown, yet Wineland quickly rose to his feet.

A quick right hand by Benavidez rocked Wineland early in the third, followed by a flying knee that just missed. Wineland got out of trouble quickly, but he caught a kick to the head moments later. The cool Benavidez showed while standing was impressive, while Wineland’s lack of a more busy attack, especially this late in the bout, was puzzling considering that he wasn’t being completely shut out while striking. But despite some late round shots that scored, the round and the fight was Benavidez’.

HERMAN vs. NOKE

Middleweight Ed Herman made it two in a row since his 22 month layoff due to injury, ending Kyle Noke’s three fight UFC winning streak with a devastating first round heel hook. Watch post-fight interview

Showing off a varied array of submissions, Herman was on point with his ground game from the moment Noke (19-5-1) took him down. Noke wasn’t going to make it easy for him though, and though he escaped triangle and armbar attempts, Herman was relentless, and eventually it was the heel hook that did the trick, forcing a tap out at 4:15 of the round.

“I was trying to attack,” said Herman, now 19-7. “He’s a tough opponent and making it hard for me, but I got him.”

MARKES vs. VEMOLA

Brazilian light heavyweight Ronny Markes entered the win column via unanimous decision over Karlos Vemola in his first Octagon bout, but he didn’t exactly win over the fans with his gameplan, continually drawing boos from the Bradley Center faithful. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board.

Markes used his takedowns and ground control to nullify Vemola’s attack, leaving the wild-swinging native of the Czech Republic unable to get untracked. Markes final takedown of the attempt of the round almost cost him though, as Vemola locked in a tight guillotine choke that was only interrupted by the bell.

A hard right by Vemola got Markes’ attention early in round two, but a follow-up flurry was met with another takedown from the Brazilian. With the crowd getting restless following a stalemate against the fence moments later, there was a takedown from Markes, but he was doing nothing with it except holding Vemola in place while throwing a sporadic series of punches.

Vemola went back to the wild brawling that he opened the bout with in round three, but Markes was ready for him, which meant another tie-up along the fence followed by a takedown and a stalemate. Markes would throw just enough strikes to keep referee Rob Hinds from standing the fight up, and in the fourth minute he made it into side control, but he was unable to finish or keep the crowd from turning on him for the less than impressive action.

With the win, Markes improves to 12-1; Vemola falls to 9-2.

HETTES vs. CACERES

Late replacement Jimy Hettes made the most of his big opportunity in featherweight action, showing off a dazzling submission game against The Ultimate Fighter 12 vet Alex Caceres before finishing matters with a rear naked choke in the second round. Watch post-fight interview

A frantic flurry of action kicked the bout off, with Caceres (5-4) on the offensive and Hettes (9-0) looking for the submission wherever he could. Caceres fought well on the mat though, whether it was defending against Hettes’ submissions or firing off ground strikes from the top. With a little over a minute left, Caceres nearly caught Hettes’ arm, but Hettes escaped and almost locked up ‘Bruce Leroy’s leg, both maneuvers drawing an appreciative roar from the crowd.

Hettes’ initial scoring salvo in the second was a thunderous throw to the mat followed by a choke attempt, but Caceres escaped and got to his feet, only to be thrown back to the mat. Another choke followed, but again the Miami product fought loose. After getting victimized by another throw, Caceres looked worn out as Hettes search for yet another submission, and though he got back to his feet, Hettes pounced on his weary foe, finally ending matters with a rear naked choke at 3:12 of the round.

Hettes replaced the injured Leonard Garcia in the bout.

MILLER vs. O’BRIEN

Cole Miller returned to the win column in his first bout since a January loss to Matt Wiman, submitting TJ O’Brien in an entertaining lightweight scrap. Watch post-fight interview

The two submission artists spent the opening round kickboxing, with Miller gaining an edge thanks to some flush shots, including a right hand that briefly rocked O’Brien.

Going on the offensive in round two, O’Brien stalked Miller in the early going with some success, but got dropped with a quick left hook for his trouble. O’Brien cleared his head and shot for a takedown, but Miller slapped on a guillotine choke and at 2:38, that was all she wrote as O’Brien tapped.

With the win, Miller, who injured his right hand in the first round, improves to 18-5; O’Brien falls to 16-5.

VOLKMANN vs. CASTILLO

Jacob Volkmann won his fourth consecutive UFC bout, outpointing Danny Castillo in lightweight action. Watch post-fight interview

All three judges saw it 29-28 for Volkmann, who improves to 13-2; Castillo falls to 11-4.

Castillo’s striking was fast and sharp as the bout began, but he couldn’t hold Volkmann off forever, and in the second minute he was taken down and almost submitted by the Minnesotan. Castillo kept his cool though, escaping and getting into top position against the fence. The two rose to their feet moments later, with Castillo landing a thudding kick to the midsection before hitting the deck again and staying there for the rest of the round.

Volkmann showed off some high-level wrestling and grappling in the second round, keeping Castillo guessing at every turn and even coming close to sinking in a choke on a few occasions.

The Milwaukee crowd appreciated the grappling prowess of both men on offense and defense, and let the fighters know it in the third round. When the bout hit the deck, it was Volkmann on top and in control as he again looked to take Castillo’s neck. Castillo powered loose yet again, but the effort left him spent as Volkmann went back to his reliable maneuver again just before the final bell.

FIGUEROA vs. REINHARDT

Bantamweight prospect Edwin Figueroa lived up to his nickname “El Feroz,” as he kept veteran Jason Reinhardt winless in his three fight UFC stint with an impressive second round TKO. Watch post-fight interview

A bizarre start to the first round was actually followed by some compelling action, as an early Figueroa right hand dropped Reinhardt and was followed by a guillotine choke attempt. Reinhardt escaped and took his opponent’s back, but Figueroa escaped and got back to his feet. Another trip to the canvas didn’t go as well for Reinhardt, as Figueroa pounded away with both hands until the bell.

In round two, Figueroa finished the job, as a takedown attempt by Reinhardt ended with the Texan in the mount position. From there, a series of unanswered blows forced referee Rob Hinds to stop the fight at 50 seconds of the frame.

With the win, Figueroa improves to 8-1; Reinhardt falls to 20-3.

 

The mixed martial arts community is mourning the loss of renowned trainer Shawn Tompkins, who passed away in his native Canada. He was 37.

A former kickboxer who also fought a handful of MMA fights, Tompkins took those skills to the gym, where he became one of the top Muay Thai trainers in the game. But the popular and always accessible trainer from Ontario may be best remembered for turning his homegrown trio of UFC vets Mark Hominick and Sam Stout and WEC vet Chris Horodecki into world-class fighters.

Before his challenge for Jose Aldo’s UFC featherweight title at UFC 129 in April, Hominick who called his team “family,” described the bond between the four, saying, “He’s the reason why we’re here, we know that, and we’re always going to be together because of that unity he’s created. You kinda look at the guys who gym jump a lot, and it frustrates me because loyalty is a big thing, it’s a big thing in our camp, and it’s a big thing in a lot of our victories.”

R.I.P. Coach

MILWAUKEE, WI, August 14 – Ben Henderson has had more than his share of memorable fights over the course of his career, and his UFC Live co-main event against Jim Miller Sunday night at Bradley Center was no exception. But none had the weight on it that this one did, and “Smooth” stepped up in style, pounding out a three round unanimous decision win over Miller that halted the lightweight contender’s seven fight winning streak and pushed Henderson into the 155-pound title picture. Watch post-fight interview

“Waves pound, the ocean goes, I beat people up, that’s what I do,” smiled Henderson.

Scores were 30-27, 30-26 and 29-28.

From the opening bell, Miller was intent on taking every opportunity he could to finish, even if it included leaping onto Henderson while trying to lock up a choke. Henderson was “Smooth” in his escape as he used it to score a takedown, but Miller’s relentless attack wasn’t slowing, as he tried for a submission from his back and then a guillotine as he sat up. All the while, Henderson kept his hands moving, and he kept himself in the scoring column with his strikes, making it an interesting round to score.

Some toe-to-toe slugging took place as the second round commenced, with Henderson holding a slight edge. The former WEC champ then secured a takedown and fired away from the ground as Miller searched for any limb he could secure. Midway through the round, Miller caught Henderson’s leg briefly, but as Henderson escaped, Miller got back to the feet. After a quick exchange moments later, Henderson took Miller down again, with the bloodied New Jersey native trying for a kimura. Like Houdini, Henderson found an escape hatch, and he ended the round with another series of ground strikes as the crowd erupted.

With Henderson leading the cheers before the final round began, the two lightweight standouts got right back to work, with Miller now sporting a cut on his left cheek as he marched forward. A left dropped Henderson, but it was a flash knockdown, as the Arizonan ended Miller’s follow-up with a takedown. By the midway point of the round, Henderson took Miller’s back, and as Miller tried to slam his way out of trouble, Henderson almost locked in a rear naked choke. Now it was Miller’s turn to show his magic, and though he escaped, it was into a barrage of crushing strikes from Henderson. The courageous Miller took every shot, but his odds of pulling off a miracle comeback late were dwindling, and it was Henderson almost finishing things with a guillotine as the bout entered the final 30 seconds. After pulling loose, Miller engaged with Henderson in some more toe-to-toe action as the Bradley Center rocked, and rightfully so. 

With the win, Henderson ups his record to 14-2; Miller falls to 20-3.

CERRONE vs. OLIVEIRA

After a 2-0 start to his UFC career, Brazilian lightweight Charles Oliveira is now 0-2 with 1 NC in his last three bouts after Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone scored a dominating first round TKO win over “Do Bronx.” Watch post-fight interview

Cerrone went on the attack at the opening bell, landing a series of hard kicks before an inadvertent low kick brought a momentary stop to the action. Undeterred, Cerrone continued to walk down his foe with kicks to the body and legs, but Oliveira willingly stood in the pocket with him. That was a mistake, as a hard body shot was followed by a knee as Oliveira tried to pull guard to recover. Cerrone wasn’t having it, and he unleashed a ferocious series of strikes on his grounded opponent, forcing referee Mario Yamasaki to halt the bout at 3:01 of the opening stanza.

With the win, Cerrone improves to 16-3 with 1 NC; Oliveira falls to 14-2 with 1 NC.

LUDWIG vs. SADOLLAH

Veteran lightweight Duane “Bang” Ludwig got a willing foil to show off his world-renowned kickboxing skills in the main card opener, and he delivered, but so did opponent Amir Sadollah, as the two put on an exciting three rounder won via decision by Ludwig. Watch post-fight interview

All three judges scored it 29-28 for Ludwig, who ups his record to 29-11; Sadollah falls to 6-3.

As expected, there was some quality striking from both fighters, with Sadollah working well with his punches and kicks from long range, and Ludwig doing his best work from the clinch. But after the two broke after an extended clinching session, Ludwig found his rhythm and began tagging Sadollah with hard long-distance kicks to the head and body which were mixed in with solid strikes as well. With 90 seconds left, Ludwig staggered Sadollah with a punch to the head, prompting a tie up by Sadollah. After breaking, Ludwig continued to punish Sadollah, this time directing his attack to the body and head, capping off a big round.

The gutsy Sadollah didn’t stray from his gameplan in round two, and he eagerly met Ludwig in the center of the Octagon for more standup action. After the 60 second between rounds break, Sadollah seemed to have his bearings back and he battled Ludwig on even terms when it came to workrate. When it came to power though, Ludwig had a decided edge, rocking his foe with a left to the head with under two minutes left. In the final minute, Ludwig surprisingly shot for a takedown, but was turned away. He didn’t get rattled though, as he simply went back to his standup attack until the bell.

Sadollah finally got his takedown early in the third round, but Ludwig shot back up immediately. The Ultimate Fighter season seven winner kept pressing, landing a hard kick to the head, but just when he would land a few solid shots, Ludwig would fire back with his own combinations. Sadollah would not stop throwing though, despite fatigue and the dangerous opponent across from him, and he looked to briefly jar “Bang” with a punch in the final minute. Ludwig got a takedown in the final minute to add to his score total, but this was a fight that will be remembered by the standup turned in by both men, not any groundwork.

MILWAUKEE, WI, August 14 – For over 12 years, veteran welterweight Chris Lytle thrilled fans with his unforgettable performances. In the final fight of his mixed martial arts career Sunday night at Bradley Center, he left another lasting impression, submitting Dan Hardy in the third round of another war that left no question that the man known as “Lights Out” will never be forgotten.

“I love being a fighter and I love it more than anything in my life except my family,” said the 36-year old, a married father of four. “It’s time to devote more time to them, and it pains me to do it, but it’s the right decision.” See Lytle post-fight interview * See Hardy post-fight interview

Entering the Octagon for the final time, Lytle had a smile on from ear to ear, and the fans greeted him with the ovation he deserved for his years as one of the sport’s truest battlers. But just to make sure Hardy wasn’t going to get sentimental on him, he cracked him with an overhand right to start the bout, and a couple of hard body shots followed. It was clear that Lytle was putting everything into each shot in order to finish the bout, but Hardy took every punch well as he looked to counter. Two minutes in though, Hardy began to lead more, which Lytle had no problem with as he came firing back. The remainder of the round saw each fighter take turns teeing off, but by the time the bell sounded, it appeared that Lytle had the edge.

Lytle jarred Hardy with his first combination of the second round, and then mixed things up with a kick and some more hard shots to the body. Hardy came back with his own thunder moments later, staggering Lytle with a right hand. After a brief clinch, Lytle’s head was clear and he went back to the body, but an accidental poke in the eye brought a brief halt to the action. When the fight resumed, Lytle went on the attack, but Hardy rocked him again before the bout briefly strayed to the mat. More exchanges ensued, and when the two went toe-to-toe at close range, it was Lytle taking advantage. But when Hardy had a little space to operate, he got more than his share of licks in, and there was no dip in the action at all, making the rounds fly by for those viewing them. A 1-2 at the bell brought a smile and a clap of hands from the man throwing it – Lytle – and you could tell that he was enjoying the last mile of his career.

Neother fighter had lost any pop on their punches 10 minutes into the bout, and defense had become only a second option for both. But where Lytle was catching Hardy repeatedly was when the Nottingham native stepped straight back, and as the final frame progressed, he was even more accurate with such shots. With 1:15 left, Hardy glanced at the clock and picked up his work rate, landing some solid shots before shooting in for a takedown. That was a mistake, as Lytle showed off his underrated ground game one more time, sinking in a guillotine choke that forced Hardy to tap out at the 4:16 mark.

Now it’s on to the next chapter of his life.

With the win, Lytle ends his career with a 41-18-4 record. Hardy, who has now lost four in a row, falls to 23-10 with 1 NC.

Chris Lytle is mad and he’s not gonna take it anymore. No, the welterweight veteran and king of the post-fight bonus hasn’t decided to go against everything he’s been all the years in order to begin a war of words with his opponent this Sunday in Milwaukee, Dan Hardy.

But the Indiana native does have a desire to help straighten things out in his home state, hence his recent announcement that he’s looking into running for office in 2012.

“If you look at what I do, I’m also a firefighter, and the reason I do that type of thing is I have a desire to better my community and it gives me a good feeling at the end of the day when I know I’ve been able to help out people,” he explained. “I look at the way things are going here, and I see a lot of problems and I think they’re gonna get worse and not better. I know the thing is to be optimistic and hope, but when you look at the facts, I don’t see that being the case. I have four children, and I want things to be better for them, especially where I live, so I figure I can complain about it or try and do something about it, and I think I have the ability to do something about it, so I’m gonna try to.”

Of course, you have to wonder why a nice guy and solid citizen like Lytle would want to get involved in a dirty game like politics. When asked what the reaction’s been to the news that he’s thinking of taking that step, he chuckles.

“They’re reacting probably like I would have five years ago,” he said. “They say ‘why would you want to get involved with that?’ To be honest with you, my idea of a politician is not good. When I think of one, I think of a used car salesman. I see how that business goes, and I don’t like that type of stuff, the politics of how you have to play ball to get this or that. I don’t like the sound of that, and it will be a little different. In the UFC, even the guys I’m getting ready to fight tend to be nice to me and they’ve liked me. And I feel like I’ve got a good reputation for having integrity, but no matter what, when I get involved in politics, from Day One a lot of people aren’t gonna like me. It’s gonna be different, and I understand that, but I’m not thinking I’m going to do this to better myself or increase my stature. I’m just doing this because I feel like we’re gonna have some big problems here and I think I might be able to help out.”

For that reason alone, you’ve got to give Lytle a lot of credit for being the kind of man willing to step up and do something as opposed to just complaining about it. But that’s a backburner issue at the moment, considering he’s going to have Hardy throwing haymakers at his head Sunday in the UFC Live main event. And that’s fine with him, as over a decade as a pro and 62 fights have not dampened his enthusiasm for the best part of the MMA game – the fight.

“That is the fun part for me,” he said. “That’s really the payoff and the part I enjoy. I can usually do a good job of pretending nobody else is there, I’m not being watched by anybody, and I’m just in there with that one person, and we’re just fighting.”

Few reveal that joy in the Octagon quite like Lytle, and his eight post-fight awards prove it. But in his most recent Fight of the Night award winner – a February loss to Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 – the thrill wasn’t there like it usually was, and you could hear it in his voice as soon as he was informed that his original opponent that night, Carlos Condit, was injured. Stepping in was the veteran Ebersole, owner of a completely different tool set than Condit. Lytle, who was battling through some training camp injuries, but who expected to be able to at least fight a three round standup fight, now had everything upended.

“I had some injuries that I was trying to deal with and the way I was looking at it was well, fighting Carlos he’s not gonna really try and take too many people down,” said Lytle. “And I’m not trying to take anybody down, so it was gonna be a standup fight. And I could do a standup fight. The month, month and a half leading up to the fight, I didn’t do any wrestling or any grappling. Then a week and a half before I left, they called with Ebersole – a college wrestler who doesn’t stand up, and he’s never been knocked out. This is a little different fight for me now. That week, four days in a row, I went in to do wrestling and grappling. But I can’t get in that kind of shape in four days.”

Lytle was Lytle on fight night though, and until he got rocked by an Ebersole knee, the fight was still up for grabs. The unorthodox and crafty Ebersole went on to take control, earning a unanimous decision win. Looking back, Lytle, who saw a four fight winning streak snapped that night, wonders if he made the right call to still take the fight. Nah, you know if he had to do it all over again, he’d do the same thing.

“In my head, I just have some sort of a, I don’t know if it’s a sickness or what (Laughs), but I can’t turn down a fight.”

Even if he’s earned the right to turn down a replacement opponent at this point in his career?

“It’s not that the UFC would say something,” he said. “I would know and it would be in my head that I said no. It would be me that turned it down and be my feeling that I was not confident in myself for that fight. And I can’t live like that.”

It’s precisely the reason why when Hardy looked for an opponent to face after three consecutive losses, he asked for Lytle. Not because he thinks the 37-year old is an easy mark, but because he’s a fighter, and he will always come to fight. And considering Hardy’s last loss to Anthony Johnson in what turned out to be a 15-minute wrestling-based affair, “The Outlaw” is craving a good ol’ fashioned slugfest.
 
“I’ve been to where he was and he was frustrated,” said Lytle. “He just wanted to stand up and put on a good fight and throw down, and he got somebody who wanted to hold him down for three rounds and grind out a victory. I know that frustration level, I’ve been there and I understand that, and that’s more or less my goal too. It’s not necessarily to say I’m just gonna stand here and let you punch me and me punch you, but it’s to end the fight as soon as possible and as dramatically as possible. I want to go out there and win the fight quickly. I’m not gonna go out there and say ‘I’m gonna take him down and grind this sucker out.’ I’ll never try and do that. I’d rather go out there and try to knock him out and get knocked out than try to grind it out.”

Hardy shares those sentiments, and with his job possibly on the line, he’s going to be bringing everything he’s got to Milwaukee. Lytle will do the same, and that’s why this is a main event.

“I feel a great sense of honor with the fact that the UFC has made us the main event and they did that for a reason,” said Lytle. “They did that because of my past performances and his past performances. I don’t feel like me going out there and saying ‘I’m gonna play this bad boy safe and I’m gonna manage this fight and get the W,’ is why they want me to be the last fight. And that’s not what they’re going to get. If that was what would happen, I would be sorely disappointed with myself and I’m not gonna let that happen.”

Chris Lytle is going to fight on Sunday. After that, who knows, maybe he’ll add politician to his jobs as a fireman and prizefighter. If Manny Pacquiao can do it, why can’t he?

“Exactly,” he laughs. “Next thing I’m gonna be doing is singing.”