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Pettis Determined to Prove He’s a Top Contender in UFC Lightweight Division

Being one of the most promising young talents in a sport as competitive as mixed martial arts is a position that comes with interesting conditions. As a fighter’s profile elevates, the intensity increases with every step. Pressure and expectation…

It is a situation where finding balance can become a difficult task. In some cases, a fighter never recovers and potential goes unfulfilled. But for some, adversity is the catalyst which sparks great progress and sets the tone for remarkable accomplishments.

Over the past three years, Anthony Pettis has proven to be one of the best 155-pound fighters on the planet, but it is a journey that has come with a fair share of challenges and obstacles. Despite the success that made him one of the sport’s best lightweights, an ill-timed loss to Clay Guida and multiple injuries stalled his once rapid ascension. Undeterred, Pettis has battled through adversity and continued to push towards his ultimate goal of becoming the number one lightweight in the world.

The next step on his quest comes this Saturday night when he faces Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 6.

“A year off makes me hungry,” Pettis told Bleacher Report. “It’s been a long time. I’ve watched these guys fight for the whole year. It’s been win some, lose some for Cowboy, but I was stuck on the sidelines. Now I get to go in there and take my spot back.

“I’m going to the top this year and nothing less. I’m going after greatness. I’m coming out there to prove a point and to make sure everybody knows I’m the number one 155’er in the world.”

When the match-up between Pettis and Cerrone was announced, a buzz resonated throughout the MMA community. Both fighters possess versatile, well-rounded skill sets and bring a unique brand of excitement every time they step into the Octagon.

The show down between two of the UFC’s top lightweights is an early favorite for “Fight of the Night” honors. While Pettis likes the stylistic match-up with “Cowboy”, he doesn’t plan on sharing fight night bonus honors with his opponent.

“Everybody you fight, you have to evolve your game to be better than they are,” Pettis said. “[Cerrone] has some dangerous things he does and some strong points. He also makes some mistakes. I’m trying to exploit his mistakes, stay away from his strong points, and use my game plan.

“I don’t like getting hit and I’m not trying to have a ‘Fight of the Night’. I want to get ‘Knockout of the Night’ or ‘Submission of the Night’. ‘Fight of the Night’ means you had to fight somebody and I come to this thing to be way better than my opponent. I want a knockout or submission bonus. “

Facing a dangerous opponent like Cerrone provided plenty of motivation to prepare, but adding in the lengthy layoff due to injury, Pettis needed the best out of his training partners. The team at Roufusport is considered to be one of the most talented collections in mixed martial arts, and with his teammates (Erik Koch, Ben Askren, Pascal Krauss) all preparing for fights of their own, the energy in Milwaukee was something special.

“The vibe was on fire man,” Pettis said. “We had a slow last year for the whole gym and this year we really want to prove something. We have top-level training partners in our gym and not only that, but Chico Camus is fighting next weekend and we have guys who aren’t in the big show yet that are fighting this month. Everybody was getting ready for a fight and the atmosphere was crazy. Everybody pushed each other and motivated one another. Training camps aren’t easy. You are busting your ass for 8, 10, 12 weeks. We were in there dying together but we win as a team and celebrate as a team.”

With a victory over Cerrone this Saturday, Pettis will find himself on the doorstep of a long-awaited shot at the UFC title. It is familiar territory for the Duke Roufus-trained fighter.

Following the WEC’s merger into the UFC, Pettis was promised an opportunity to fight for the lightweight strap pending the outcome of Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard’s bout at UFC 125. Unfortunately for the Milwaukee-native, a majority draw between the two rivals put his promised title shot in the wind.

In the aftermath of the Edgar vs. Maynard trilogy, the entire upper tier of the 155-pound weight class reshuffled. The chaos ultimately made the division one of the most competitive under the UFC banner and, with another wave of fighters coming over from the now defunct Strikeforce promotion, the race will only become more intense. While a title shot is the ultimate goal, past experiences have taught Pettis to keep his focus on the here and now.

“You can’t look at it all,” Pettis said. “You have to just take it one fight at a time. If I look at all these guys coming over, or guys [the UFC] are trying to sign; it’s a headache. I just take it one fight at a time. I’ve got Cowboy next and he’s a tough guy. But I’m better and I can beat him. I’m going to go out there, do work on Cowboy, and then everybody is going to be talking about me. That’s just how it works. The guy with the most recent win is the hottest 155’er. Then the guy who fights the next weekend becomes the hottest.

“You just have to keep your name relevant. I’ve had a year off and haven’t had a chance to do that. This year I’m going to take advantage of it and get back to where I’m supposed to be.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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UFC on Fox 6: Glover Teixeira ‘This Is My Time’

On Saturday night, two of the UFC’s top light heavyweights will collide in Chicago as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson squares off with Glover Teixeira at UFC on Fox 6. While the matchup may not claim top billing on promotional posters, the throwdown between the former light heavyweight champion and rising Brazilian star has all the makings to be the biggest fight on the card.

The bout comes under interesting circumstances, as both men are standing at a crossroads in their respective careers.

Teixeira has been labeled the “next big thing” in the 205-pound weight class and has the potential to become a dominant force in the UFC’s premier division. At the other end of the spectrum, Jackson has become disenfranchised with the sport’s biggest promotion, and all indicators point to the bout with Teixeira being his curtain call inside the Octagon.

That being said, the fight will undoubtedly be the perfect opportunity for Teixeira to prove he belongs in the conversation of top light heavyweights on the planet. It is a moment he’s been working toward his entire career, and the 33-year-old has every intention of making a statement at Jackson’s expense.

“I trained so hard for this fight,” Teixeira told Bleacher Report. “Saturday night will be another step toward my dream. I get to fight a big-name opponent in the co-main event of a big show. It is a great thing. This is my time and I’m ready to go. I’m ready to show the world what I can do.”

In addition to the storylines, which have built a buzz leading up the fight, the stylistic differences between the two fighters presents several interesting angles. Both are heavy-handed sluggers with the potential to end a fight with one clean shot and both have a proven track record of separating their opponents from their consciousness.

Where Teixeira would appear to have the biggest advantage is when the action hits the canvas. The John Hackleman-trained fighter has a solid submission game and has used his strength in the past to out-muscle his opponents on the ground.

While the Brazilian’s grappling credentials are well known, Jackson has proven to have some of the best takedown defense in the light heavyweight division. Teixeira understands the challenges Jackson presents, but believes his well-rounded skill set and desire to win will ultimately prove too much for his opponent.

“I think I bring more tools to the fight,” Teixeira said. “Rampage has good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. We have seen how good his takedown defense is in past fights, and he has fought other guys with good jiu-jitsu and has defended a lot of submissions. He’s no joke and you have to be ready in all areas of the fight. I think my cardio, speed and the fire I have inside of me to keep fighting are going to be the difference.

“In this fight, it is going to be an aggressive Glover Teixeira who is coming in looking for the finish at all times.”

A victory over Rampage would solidify Teixeira’s place in the upper tier of the light heavyweight division and put him within striking distance of a title shot. That being said, it will be his toughest test to date inside the Octagon. Should Teixeira find success on Saturday night in Chicago, the hype surrounding the Brazilian wrecking machine will not only become validated, but it will become a reality as well.

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Ryan Bader’s Climb Back to Contention Begins with Matyushenko

In a sport like mixed martial arts, the education process is unique. When the moving parts are all firing in sync and victory is achieved, a fighter experiences the thrill of success and validation of sacrifices made. On the other hand, the learning curve can be a painful experience. A fighter battling through the ranks will ultimately meet a challenge he’s not quite ready for, and the race for potential to match progress suffers a setback for the time being.

It is in these moments where a fighter discovers if he has what it takes to gather himself and head back into the fray. UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader is no stranger to the highs and lows of the education process, and once again finds himself preparing to climb back up the divisional mountain.

The former TUF winner has battled his way to the doorstep of title contention on two occasions in his young career, and both times has been turned back in disappointing fashion. Undeterred, the former Arizona State wrestling standout is prepared to jump back into the fire, to prove once and for all that he is one of the sport’s best fighters in the UFC’s “crown jewel” light heavyweight division.

That journey begins with Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago.

“I had a great camp and I’ve learned a lot in the process,” Bader told Bleacher Report. “I’ve worked a lot of my boxing and jiu-jitsu and put it all together. Vlad is a tough opponent. He is a strong wrestler that hits hard. He’s not as mobile as some of my past opponents, but he’s been in there with a lot of great fighters and has come out on top most of the time. I’m looking forward to this fight. I feel this a fight where I need to put everything together and I believe that I can.

“I think speed is going to be a factor. I feel I’m more mobile and quicker. We’ve been working on a lot of things I can really use in this fight. It is a good fight for me and I want to go in there, get the win, but I also want to look good doing it. I’ve said it in past interviews, but I haven’t really had a fight where I’ve looked back and was able to say, ‘that is who I am as a fighter.’ In every fight there has always been something that I didn’t really live up to in there as far as what I know I can do. I want this fight with Matyushenko to be something I can look back on and know that I finally put it all together. I want it to be a fight where I show the type of fighter I really am.”

“I’m going to be a new fighter,” Bader added. “I want to be better every time I go out there. I want my opponents looking at past film and being surprised when they see I’m not the same fighter since the last time I competed. That is my goal. I want to go out there, be a better fighter and put it all together. I’m coming into this fight with Vlad looking for the finish. I want to knock him out. I’m coming into this fight in great shape and definitely have the conditioning to push the action hard and finish Vladimir.”

Bader blitzed his way into the UFC fold by winning Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter. The 29-year-old continued to build solid momentum as he collected victories in his next four outings, all coming against proven veterans of the sport. His success earned the PowerMMA co-owner a bout with another rising star Jon Jones, but after two rounds, Bader was handed the first loss of his professional career.

Looking to quickly regain his position in the division, Bader squared-off with MMA legend Tito Ortiz at UFC 132. In a shocking upset, the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” stunned the Arizona native with a short punch, followed by a fight-ending guillotine choke.

Back-to-back losses sent Bader back to the drawing board and forced him to take a hard look at the things he was doing to prepare. It was a decision which paid off as “Darth” bounced back strong and claimed two consecutive victories over the likes of Jason Brilz and former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Defeating Jackson once again put Bader in the upper tier of the 205-pound weight class. He appeared to be one victory away from a title shot, but another setback in his next outing against Lyoto Machida pushed Bader to the back of the line. While losses along the way have been difficult, Bader has found a silver lining in the experiences and turned the negatives into positives.

“I’m young in this sport and have only been training for five years,” Bader said. “Four of my last five fights have been against champions or former champions. I’m fighting the best. I’m facing guys who have won world titles, defended them many times and are arguably some of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

“Getting in there with those guys is an experience. Granted, taking the losses aren’t fun, but it gives me so much more that I know I need to work on. It is a learning experience. Being in there with those guys, doing all the media, all the hype that comes with big fights, is a learning experience. Rampage, Machida and Tito Ortiz are all guys I watched coming up through high school and college. Facing those guys and being in those situations definitely helps for future fights.

“When I fought Jon Jones, he was somebody nobody else wanted to fight. Nobody really wants to fight Machida, but we always step up and take those fights. The UFC calls us and we step up and take those matchups. I took a couple of losses, but I know it will help in the long run. As I said earlier, it helps me progress…it really does. Going in there with tough guys who have looked unbeatable at times and scrapping it out boosts your confidence. It shows that you can go in there with anybody.

“In this sport you have an opportunity in a short amount of time to get right back up there. I’ve done it before. I came out and lost to Jon Jones. He is Jon Jones and he is a great fighter, but then I lost to Tito in a fight I wasn’t supposed to lose. I was definitely down about it but I came back and beat Jason Brilz and Rampage. Then I was fighting Machida for a No. 1 contender’s spot.

“Things happen fast in MMA. I’m not worried about getting back up there right now. I’m focused on winning the fight in front of me.”

As a physically-gifted athlete, certain aspects of mixed martial arts have come easily for Bader. His wrestling pedigree provided a great foundation for his transition into the sport, and the natural power he possesses made him a knockout threat.

That being said, the finer aspects of the fight game come with time, and Bader has shown tremendous improvement in his boxing skills, with his foot work and head movement coming along with marked progress. Often times in mixed martial arts, a wrestler will fall in love with his ability to land a one-shot knockout, but Bader is approaching his progress in the striking department with realistic expectations.

“It really started with the Jason Brilz fight,” Bader said about his progression in the stand-up game. “I really didn’t know what I was doing all the way up through Tito. I went out there with the mentality I was just going to try to punch this guy in the face. I had never really had a boxing coach. We thought we did, but didn’t know any better. We had guys who were holding mitts but that isn’t a boxing coach. After the Tito fight we made changes. We made changes as a team and brought in some real boxing coaches. In that short period of time between the Ortiz and Brilz fights, I improved more in that span than I had in the previous two years in my boxing. I went out there, looked good and got the knockout.

“Against Rampage, I felt my hands were a lot faster and I put some good combinations together. Obviously, the game plan wasn’t to go in there and box with him, but I felt a lot more comfortable in the exchanges. Going forward I feel I’m getting better and better with my hands. That being said, I’m not going to fall into a situation where I think I can box with everybody. It’s a new skill and I’m getting better at it, but I need to mix things up and make it fit with my strength, which is wrestling. They will complement one another and make things that much stronger.”

Potential and expectation can be a difficult weight for a fighter to carry. Bader has already proven his ability to dust himself off and get right back to handling business. While a victory over Matyushenko will not put him back in the heated race for title contention, it will be another opportunity to prove the progress continues.

At this point in his career, that is the only thing that matters.

Duane Finley is a feature writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Ricardo Lamas Coming Home for UFC on Fox 6

Things in the UFC featherweight division are about to get downright nasty. Despite being one of the organization’s newest weight classes, the battle for contender status at 145 pounds has become intense. Over the next five weeks, nearly every fighter r…

Things in the UFC featherweight division are about to get downright nasty.

Despite being one of the organization’s newest weight classes, the battle for contender status at 145 pounds has become intense. Over the next five weeks, nearly every fighter ranked in the divisional Top 10 will step into the Octagon looking to take a step forward.

The bulk of this action will take place next Saturday night at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago, where a collection of top featherweights will battle it out to determine who stays in the race and who goes to the back of the line.

Of the 145-pound matchups on the card, the fight carrying the most stock comes between Ricardo Lamas and Erik Koch. The bout has the potential to determine the next contender to the featherweight crown, and “The Bully” is looking to make the most of the opportunity.

If a high-profile fight on Fox with possible title implication were not enough to fire Lamas up, the bout taking place in his hometown certainly does the trick. The 30-year-old has Chicago roots, and the chance to throw down with Koch in front of a Windy City crowd has Lamas ready to get after it.

“I’m definitely excited about fighting in Chicago,” Lamas told Bleacher Report. “I haven’t fought in front of a hometown crowd since 2008, before I got into the WEC. Being able to come back and fight in front of my hometown crowd in Chicago is an honor. I’m really happy they are letting me do it.

I think the way we match-up will make for a very exciting fight. He alone is an exciting fighter and I believe I am as well. When you put two fighters like that together you are going to get a very high-paced, high-action fight. Most likely there is going to be some blood. I would suggest that fans keep their eyes open and not to look away from this one.”

During his time in the WEC, Lamas had a successful campaign competing as a lightweight. But when he transitioned into the UFC, Lamas began his new chapter as a featherweight. The decision paid dividends as he has collected three consecutive victories at 145 pounds, with his most recent coming over Hatsu Hioki this past June.

The Japanese fighter was considered by most to be the No. 2-ranked featherweight in the world going into the fight, but after an impressive performance by Lamas, the former Division Three All-American exited the Octagon with a new burst of momentum.

That being said, the featherweight division has been slow to pick up steam with the UFC fanbase, and Lamas is admittedly one of featherweight’s lesser-known commodities. Undeterred, he understands that while he may not be a household name with the fans, the biggest organization in the sport certainly give him his due.

“I don’t think I’m being overlooked,” Lamas said. “I believe I’m getting some of the credit I deserve because they are matching me up with some high-level competition. That says something. That says the UFC believes in me and that I deserve to be in there with the top guys.

As far as the regular fan knowing me; that isn’t so important to me right now. I’m here to fight and be the best that I can. Being well known comes second to that.”

A victory over Koch would make a strong case for Lamas to earn a title shot. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter was originally slated to face champion Jose Aldo at UFC 153 before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. Following Koch’s withdraw, Lamas was offered the position opposite Aldo—which he accepted.

Ultimately the UFC decided to change directions and tapped former lightweight champion Edgar to take Koch’s place. The bout was scrapped entirely when Aldo suffered an injury, but the “super fight” drew enough heat with the fanbase for the organization to put the fight on a later card at UFC 156.

Much like Lamas, the 24-year-old Koch is riding a win streak of his own. “New Breed” has collected four consecutive victories but has not competed inside the Octagon for over 17 months. Lamas getting a win over the Milwaukee native will put him high on the list of potential contenders, but he also understands, much like the previous incident, it is a decision entirely beyond his control.

“I’m at the point in my career where I want to make a run at the title,” Lamas said. “I feel I’m at that stage where I can make a serious run at this thing, give it my best, and see what happens. But a [title shot]is something the UFC will decide and it is not really up to me. One thing I’ve learned a long time ago from my old college coach in wrestling is to never look past the match you have right in front of you. Right now I’m not even thinking about a title shot or anything like that. I’m 100% focused on Erik Koch.”

The bout between Lamas and Koch will put the spotlight on the featherweight division and kick off a fantastic run of matchups that will keep the eyes of the MMA world locked on the weight class. It is a defining time for the young division, and with fighters who were elite-level lightweights choosing to drop down, Lamas feels it is only going to make the competition at 145 pounds that much stronger.

“There are a lot of guys dropping down from 155-pounds like [Clay] Guida and Frankie Edgar,” Lamas said. “With these guys coming down I think it is going to be a very challenging weight class and there are a lot of great guys already competing at 145-pounds. It is going to make for some exciting match-ups and there are going to be a lot of great fights for fans to watch. “

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained first-hand unless noted otherwise.

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Who Gets Anderson Silva Next Following Bisping Loss?

The stage was set for Michael Bisping in Sao Paulo, Brazil. UFC President Dana White put a guaranteed title shot against Anderson Silva on the table, and all “The Count” had to do was defeat Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC on Fox 7. Granted, top…

Unfortunately for the 33-year-old Brit, “The Phenom” had other plans.

After the first three minutes were spent in a feeling-out process, the former light heavyweight champion poured it on. With a late flurry in the first round, and a well-placed head kick in the second, the 35-year-old Belfort put Bisping on the canvas and ended the fight.

With the loss, Bisping sees his long-awaited title shot float out into the ether, leaving the spot opposite Anderson Silva vacant for the time being. It is a unique situation for a division that seemed to have several contenders waiting in the wings only three months ago.

But after injury and upper-tier fighters losing in crucial bouts, the contender class of the UFC middleweight division has gone eerily silent.

Potential “super fights” with Jon Jones and George St-Pierre have been shelved for the time being as both champions are otherwise engaged. Leaving Silva standing alone without an immediate dance partner in sight. It will be interesting to see what comes next for the sport’s most dominant champion.

Here are some of the options.

Suga Might Catch a Spider This Summer

Before I get started on this run, let’s be clear on a few points. For starters, I fully understand Rashad Evans has a fight coming up…and it’s a dangerous one. The former light heavyweight champion squares-off with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in two weeks at UFC 156 in Las Vegas. It will be the former TUF winner’s first fight in nearly a year and “Lil Nog” presents some interesting stylistic problems for Evans.

The Brazilian has a crisp boxing game and proven power in both hands. If Evans can use his wrestling and pressure to put a strong pace on Nogueira, grinding out a decision or a late finish are entirely within reason.

By all indicators, this is a fight Evans should win but as cliche as it sounds, anything can happen in the fight game. Should the Team Blackzilians fighter find success in the match-up, an interesting opportunity could be waiting for him.

Over the past few years, the 33-year-old has flirted with the idea of dropping down to the middleweight division. In fact, on multiple occasions he has specifically stated a bout with Silva would be a great reason for him to make the cut down to 185 pounds. With Bisping heading to the back of the line and no clear contender in sight, the door could be open to a possible showdown with the middleweight king.

A potential Silva vs. Evans dust-up is interesting on multiple levels. For starters, it is an extremely marketable fight and the exact type of scenario Silva covets. High-profile opponents get the pound-for-pound great moving, and a fight with Evans could be enough to bring Silva back from vacation for a summer date on pay-per-view.

As far as the match up goes, Evans’s wrestling is enough to make the fight interesting. The 37-year-old champion has proven to be susceptible to lower-body-focused grappling in the past, and Evans is very much that brand of wrestler.

He likes to use his speed to get in his opponent’s legs and he’s strong enough to dump Silva on his back. The problem, as so many other opponents have found out in painful fashion, getting your hands on Silva can be a nightmarish experience.

On the striking front, the fight is heavily in Silva’s favor. No doubt Evans has solid hand speed and knockout power, but the champion’s unpredictable approach and laser precision keep his opposition off guard.

This makes them hesitate and when you think twice against Silva, the next thing you see are the ringside doctors waking you up.

That being said, the match-up between Silva and Evans is certainly something fight fans could get behind.

Waiting For the Situation to Play Out

This past summer, the dance card a top the middleweight division looked better than it has in years. Chris Weidman was coming off an impressive knockout win over Mark Munoz, and a pack of potential contenders were carving their way through the ranks.

Fast forward several months and it is a much different picture. Weidman went out with injury and the debacle of UFC 155 knocked Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch out of the hunt with lopsided losses. When you add Bisping‘s defeat in Brazil, there doesn’t appear to be a contender at the ready.

That being the case, it is quite possible Silva will have to sit on the sidelines and see how the situation takes shape. If this happens, it will be an intense race to see who claims the No. 1 contender spot.

There is no timeline set for Weidman‘s return, but with his undefeated track record, it makes complete sense for him to come back to a title eliminator fight. With top-level competition coming over from Strikeforce in Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, placing either across the cage from the Ray Longo-trained fighter would be fitting.

It would seem more likely to put Rockhold in against Weidman, as both would be coming off lengthy injuries. Should the AKA-trained fighter get the nod, Souza could face Costa Philippou later this year.

Another fight which potentially holds great importance to how the division shapes up will be Hector Lombard vs. Yushin Okami. Much like the situation surrounding Bisping at UFC on FX 7, the potential title shot would only be on Lombard’s shoulders.

“Thunder” is only three fights removed from a battering at the hands of Silva and has only been successful in two of those showings. While Lombard stumbled in his UFC debut against Boetsch at UFC 149, a first-round smashing of Rousimar Palhares has the former Olympic judoka back on track.

Defeating Okami is no easy task and it is even harder to do it in impressive fashion. If Lombard is able to best the Japanese grappling machine and look good doing so, a trip to the front of the line could very well be in order.

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Chris Lytle Looks Back at Career, Moves Forward with New Endeavor

It is a rare occurrence in mixed martial arts to see a fighter walk away on his own terms. Far too many times in the past, things have gone in the complete opposite direction. Competitors who were once iron-chinned warriors, left crumpled on the canvas…

Just like that, a fighter people couldn’t wait to see step into the cage is the person the same people hope to never see compete again.

Chris Lytle refused to travel that route.

After making a career out of trading leather at all costs and becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, the Indianapolis native knew it was time to call it quits. It wasn’t an easy decision to make by any means, but when the 38-year-old weighed his career in the sport against the life he had beyond the lights, Lytle knew without question where his full attention belonged.

Once that decision was made, the full-time fireman poured every ounce of his attention and energy into one final curtain call. The fight came against British slugger Dan Hardy in the main event of UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Leading up to the fight, both men showed a tremendous amount of respect and agreed to settle business on the feet. For three rounds that is exactly how the action played out until Lytle caught Hardy in a guillotine choke to end the fight late in the third round.

To cap it all off in proper fashion, Lytle was also awarded “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors, which brought his fight night bonus total to 10, and became the perfect platform for Lytle to make his exit.

“It was hard to get away, but for me, the last fight against Hardy was about as good as it gets,” Lytle told Bleacher Report. “It never was a factor of me wanting to quit the sport. But I started to realize more and more that I was neglecting a lot of my family duties.

“Being out with surgeries and spending more time at home, these became clear to me. I wasn’t around my kids like I wanted to be and I felt guilty about it.

“I started training for the Dan Hardy fight and I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I should not be training and should be spending my time with my family. You can’t fight in this sport like that. I sat down with my wife and we talked.

“I decided it was going to be my last fight and after that decision I allowed myself to dedicate every second of my life to that fight because I knew it was going to be my last. After I that fight and the way it ended, it couldn’t have been better. I got to go out there and bang it out for three rounds and submit him at the end. It was a perfect ending to my career.

“I knew going in that I had put everything I possibly could into the sport. I was never going to move my family and me staying here, working a full-time job while I was training, I did everything I could to be successful. I knew I was going to be satisfied when I left the sport but the way it ended was just perfect.

“I definitely look back at my time in the sport and I’m satisfied. If I had gotten knocked out in my last four or five fights I’m sure it would have been different. If those things happen I’m sure you think the way it ended sucks and you won’t have good memories of it coming to a close. That’s not what I have here and I’m very happy how it all played out.

“Now I’m looking to start the next thing. Too many keep fighting, thinking it is a good thing for them and that is when things get bad. They hang around too long and that wasn’t going to happen with me. I wanted to go out on my terms, not when the UFC told me to leave.”

The Future of Indy MMA

For the majority of his career, Lytle was one of a handful of fighters competing out of Indianapolis. While other areas around the country were experiencing the MMA boom and gyms began popping up out of nowhere, Indiana’s capital city remained quietly in the shadows.

Lytle saw great potential in his training partners and other fighters from the area. He knew his name would help put the city on the map in mixed martial arts, but the next wave of fighters coming up like UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione and TUF alum Shamar Bailey, have what it takes to push Indianapolis MMA to the next level.

“It’s fantastic,” Lytle said. “I never wanted to be a big fish in a small pond. You get better when you have better people around you. The more people trained together, every one got better, and more of our people started making it to the UFC level. It’s definitely good to see how much it is progressing and rewarding to see something you helped start take off like it has.

“I was just the first fighter to get out there and put our name on the map and then it blossomed from there. When you get people training together who all want the same things, you are going to see some success. I’m glad for what for what everybody is doing. Even though I’m not out there doing it as much any more, it still makes me very happy.”

The Next Chapter

On the night of this interview, I came out to support Lytle‘s latest endeavor as the head of an upstart promotion called Midwest Fighting Series. With his time competing in the sport behind him, Lytle has turned his efforts towards further helping the mixed martial arts scene in Indianapolis blossom.

When I walk through the doors I catch a glimpse of Lytle in full-on promoter mode. It’s a great crowd and the man himself is looking presidential: shaking hands, taking pictures, and operating with the general politeness and ease Lytle has always carried himself with.

As a long-time Indiana resident, it makes me proud to see fans turn out and great to know Lytle did his part to help bring the show to them.

Many promoters get into the sport looking for the cash grab, but this just isn’t the way Lytle does business. For him, what matters most is presenting young fighters with an opportunity to develop the right way and he believes it is something that has been missing for years.

“Even though I retired, I have still been involved in the sport,” Lytle said. “I’ve still been training people. The guys who helped me get ready for my fights, I like to help them get ready for theirs. One thing I learned in the boxing realm, if you don’t have a place to put on fights, to help take care of you and develop you as a fighter, you are going to be going into other people’s backyards.

“You are going to have to go into other people’s promotions where you are the guy who is not supposed to win. You might be able to eke out a few wins, but it is much easier to develop a good fighter if you have somewhere to develop your skills in the right way.

“I don’t want the guys from Indianapolis being brought over to Cincinnati to get beat up on. I want them to fight right here and be brought along the right way. Then when they are ready to take the next step they can get out there and get after it.

“This promotion is more or less me trying to do my part for the next generation of fighters coming out of Indianapolis. We have a great venue here and I’m not giving these guys easy fights. I’m giving them fights that make sense. We may have guys who will be 5-5 but it will be because they fought 10 tough guys.

“Being brought along the right way makes a world of difference in this sport now. I want to put guys in there who have the same amount of experience and that is all we are trying to do.”

Over the course of my career covering MMA, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Lytle on numerous occasions. Anyone who has ever done so understands it is never much of an actual interview as it is sitting and talking to a man who loves being a part of the sport.

At one point in our conversation, we talked about a recent interview I had done with middleweight prospect Chris Camozzi. In the interview, the Colorado native described Lytle‘s style and love for the scrap, as something he greatly admired.

For the surging 185-pound fighter, wins and losses didn’t matter. Only showing up to fight your heart out and it is the only thing Lytle ever knew how to do.

“That is the biggest compliment I can get,” he said. “I want more people to fight like that because I believe that is the way the sport should be. What is going to destroy the sport is point fighting. It happens all the time in boxing where guys land a few jabs and go on the defensive. I don’t want to watch that.

“I want to see two guys go in there and try to take each other out. That was my mentality and the way I believe the sport should be. When people recognize, appreciate, and model that, there isn’t a bigger compliment in the world.”

While Lytle insisted our interview could carry on a bit longer, it wasn’t difficult to see how much the night’s event required him elsewhere. The crowd wanted to see him. The fans wanted pictures and the fighter/politician/promoter is never one to disappoint. That being said, I knew I had to launch one final “Hail Mary” towards the end zone, simply hoping he’d go up and get it.

Since his retirement in August 2011, Lytle has been asked countless times if he would ever be willing to return to the UFC. He’s always left the door slightly ajar, because even if it’s only open a crack, it is still technically open. Knowing the space was there to get something through, I played fantasy matchmaker.

With Lytle having 10 fight night bonuses and lightweight Joe Lauzon recently claiming his 12th, I put together a hypothetical catch weight match-up between the two ruckus-loving veterans, with the winner having the fight night bonus named in their honor. I wanted to see if this would be enough to get his interest, but in proper Lytle fashion, he went about it on his terms.

“I like it,” Lytle laughed. “You’re an ideas guy and that is a good one. Here is the only thing: I’m not willing to train very much. I’ve always told people who have asked me if I’d come back, it would only happen if somebody like Nick Diaz, B.J. Penn or Carlos Condit, guys I’d love to fight, if their opponents got hurt last minute, I’d step in.

“But it couldn’t be three weeks out from the fight. It would have to be the last week where there was no training. Oh no training? I’m in. Then Dana can call me up. Hey can you fight tomorrow? I’m there.

“If those circumstances were there in a fight against Lauzon, then I’d do it. I’d be like ‘C’mon Joe, let’s do it and it would be fun’. I like Joe a lot. I’ll be the guy who only fights when they need something tomorrow. If that were the case I’d have to change my nickname from Lights Out to Last Minute Lytle. You need something last minute? I’m your man.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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