Tag: UFC on Versus 5

UFC on Versus 5 Live Blog: Amir Sadollah vs. Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig Updates

Filed under: UFCMILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Amir Sadollah vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig, a welterweight bout on tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Sadollah (5-2, 5-2 UFC), the Season 7 winner of “The Ultimate Fi…

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Amir Sadollah faces Duane MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Amir Sadollah vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig, a welterweight bout on tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Sadollah (5-2, 5-2 UFC), the Season 7 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” when he beat C.B. Dollaway, who fought on tonight’s preliminary card, has won two straight, including a stoppage over DaMarques Johnson in March. Ludwig (20-11, 3-2 UFC) is just 1-2 since his return to the UFC, but won his last outing by split decision over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Ludwig and Sadollah were scheduled to meet in March, but Ludwig had to pull out of the fight due to an injury.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Here we go to open the TV card. Thirty seconds in, we trade knees and both guys look for that Muay Thai plum just like we expected. Sadollah pushes Ludwig to the cage, but Ludwig pushes off and lands a few knees. Total clinch game right now, and both guys have a plum. Sadollah breaks out finally, and the two trade punches before Ludwig throws a pair of leg kicks up high that Sadollah blocks. Ludwig nearly lands a knee, and Sadollah answers with a teep to keep the distance. Ludwig is landing some decent shots, then rocks Sadollah with a big combination. Sadollah survives, but his face is pretty beat up. Ludwig contineus to land up top, then goes to the body. He goes back to head-body like Marky Mark in “The Fighter.” It’s working. Ludwig gets the first, 10-9, on the MMA Fighting card.

Round 2: Traded kicks for the first 30 seconds, and the crowd likes it. Superman punch from Sadollah goes nowhere. But Ludwig pushes forward and lands some nice combos in tight. Ludwig seems to be getting the better of these exchanges, both in the kicking game and with the punches. But Sadollah’s face is more beat up, so that might make a difference in that perception. Sadollah is backing up more, for sure. They again trade in tight, and again Ludwig lands some big shots that force Sadollah to plum up and then drop for a takedown, which Ludwig stuffs. Ludwig tries to shoot, but Sadollah stuffs and we move back to the feet. They clinch briefly, then break. Ludwig is having no problem landing punches, and now even elbows, to Sadollah’s noggin. It’s another 10-9 round for Ludwig on the MMA Fighting card.

Round 3: Sadollah likely will be in desperation mode here, and he comes forward hard and goes for a takedown that Ludwig brilliantly sprawls out to stop, for the most part. Ludwig does end up on the ground for a moment, but he’s right back up to Sadollah’s dismay. A beautiful front kick from Sadollah is right on the button on Ludwig’s chin, and it backs him up. But he doesn’t fall, and he soon lands another punch to Sadollah’s chin for his troubles. More kicks are traded, and Mike Dolce in Ludwig’s corner yells for him to go hard. Sadollah lands a nice body kick. A high kick from Sadollah is blocked by Ludwig, but the sound popping off his glove gets the crowd jazzed. THey trade strikes in close, and at the 45 second mark, the crowd goes bananas – B-A-N-A-N-A-S – for a wild and crazy finish. But it’s not to be. Ludwig shoots, Sadollah sprawls, and they’ll end things on the ground. MMA Fighting has the third 10-9 for Ludwig, though it’s closer, and the fight for him 30-27.

Result: Duane Ludwig def. Amir Sadollah, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Last Minute Hype: Dana White’s “UFC on Versus 5? Blog #2

Part of Dana White’s success is attributable to his ability to identify with the common man. Remember when your car broke down and you had to walk five miles to get to work? Dana feels you. Of course, in his case the car is actually a luxurious private jet, and he doesn’t have to walk because there’s a second private jet at his disposal waiting in the next hangar. Like they say- mo’ money, mo’ problems.

Dana’s second “UFC on Versus 5” vlog gives us an up close and personal view of yesterday’s weigh-ins, though thankfully the camera backs off when it’s time for Hardy to shed his skivvies. Give it a look and catch the tension in the Miller-O’Brien staredown, the bold donning of a pair of daisy dukes (is another ban about to drop?), and the cool excitement in Lytle’s smile as he heads into battle one last time.

Part of Dana White’s success is attributable to his ability to identify with the common man. Remember when your car broke down and you had to walk five miles to get to work? Dana feels you. Of course, in his case the car is actually a luxurious private jet, and he doesn’t have to walk because there’s a second private jet at his disposal waiting in the next hangar. Like they say- mo’ money, mo’ problems.

Dana’s second “UFC on Versus 5” vlog gives us an up close and personal view of yesterday’s weigh-ins, though thankfully the camera backs off when it’s time for Hardy to shed his skivvies. Give it a look and catch the tension in the Miller-O’Brien staredown, the bold donning of a pair of daisy dukes (is another ban about to drop?), and the cool excitement in Lytle’s smile as he heads into battle one last time.

UFC on Versus 5 Undercard Blog: Dollaway vs. Hamman, Benavidez vs. Wineland, More

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CB Dollaway faces off against Jared Hamman at UFC on Versus 5.MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC card.

UFC on Versus 5 is the promotion’s debut in Wisconsin and takes place at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.

The preliminary card features eight fights, including a middleweight bout between C.B. Dollaway and Jared Hamman and a bantamweight contest between former WEC champion Eddie Wineland and former title challenger Joseph Benavidez.

The live blog is below.



Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt

Round 1: No glove touch, but we start anyway. Figueroa takes the center and Reinhardt circles to the right on the outside, then back left. Reinhardt is on his horse, not engaging, and grinning at Figueroa, now talking to him and clapping at him. The crowd is booing wildly. Figueroa finally catches him to throw a partially blocked kick. This has Kalib Starnes written all over it. Figueroa lands a right and drops Reinhardt, then locks in a standing guillotine. Reinhardt is trying to power out of it, and he eventually gets a little slam out of it and winds up on top. He transitions to Figueroa’s back and starts to work for a rear naked choke with a body triangle locked on. Figueroa gets out, though, and lands a shot from up top. They stand up, and when Figueroa engages, Reinhardt immediately drops to his back. They stand up again, and Reinhardt lands a decent right of his own. Back on the feet, Figueroa again lands a couple good shots and gets Reinhardt back on the ground, where he proceeds to land some pretty stiff shots from standing. Reinhardt does a somersault and rolls over. He has basically given up and is just laying there as the ref looks at him when the horn sounds. It’s a 10-8 round for Figueroa on our card thanks to Reinhardt’s running.

Round 2: We’re going to do a second round of this thing, and this time they touch gloves. Reinhardt again is on his horse, then shoots when Figueroa engages. There’s a scramble, and Figueroa ends up on top in full mount. Reinhardt rolls over and covers up and he’s not long for this fight. Pretty quickly, the ref steps in and it’s done. So, too, likely, is Reinhardt’s UFC career after the running in the first round.

Result: Edwin Figueroa def. Jason Reinhardt, TKO, 0:50 Round 2

Jacob Volkmann vs. Danny Castillo

Round 1: The legendary Mario Yamasaki gets things going. No glove touch. Volkmann shoots in early and they have a scramble in the clinch, but not much comes from it. They break apart and dance. Decent body kick from Castillo, who shortly thereafter misses a nice high kick. Then he lands an outside leg kick, followed by one on the inside. Volkmann shoots again and gets a soft takedown and looks to pass from half guard. He ties up Castillo’s right arm, then works for a side choke. But trying to hold on to that position costs him, as Castillo works his way out and gets top position. Volkmann settles back into guard, then nicely wall walks back to his feet as they clinch up. They separate around 1:50 and move back to the middle. After trading rights, Castillo lands one of the loudest body kicks in recorded history (we think) to Volkmann’s left ribcage. But Volkmann survives it and the two wind up in a scramble on the ground. It’s a tough first round to score, with each guy looking pretty effective. But MMA Fighting will give it, highly unofficially, to Castillo 10-9.

Round 2: After a few seconds of dancing, we clinch up along the fence. A few traded shots lead to Volkmann on his butt looking for a choke, and Castillo trying to work ground and pound. Yamasaki warns Castillo for holding Volkmann’s shorts and says he’ll take a point if he does it again. Volkmann wall walks back up, and then Castillo is warned for grabbing the fence, though it looked mild. A weird scramble leads to Volkmann on his back briefly, then on his knees, and he wrestles Castillo to his back and is in half guard. Then work for position, and Volkmann briefly has a choke that he can’t lock up as Castillo tries to reverse position. He works for it again, and it’s an arm-in modified guillotine. But Castillo will survive the round. Round 2 goes to Volkmann on our card, 10-9.

Round 3: Castillo lands a nice right hand 10 seconds in. Forty seconds later, the next action is a nice inside leg kick from him. They hit the ground briefly, but Volkmann has the edge there before Castillo scrambles quickly out and back to his feet. The crowd cheers the cat-and-mouse game. A short exchange in the middle leads to Volkmann again taking top position on the ground, controlling Castillo’s head and neck from half guard. He looks for some short elbows, but mainly this is a control game with Castillo’s right arm locked up. Volkmann isn’t doing much with the position, and it doesn’t look like it’s a choke he can lock down from where he’s at. Castillo wiggles out, but Volkmann gets to side control and looks for more elbows and again traps an arm and controls Castillo’s head. Castillo throws right knees from the ground, but that’s all he can do. The crowd is booing what it deems a stalling game by Volkmann. Castillo rolls over, and Volkmann works for his back. But nothing will happen. It’s a 10-9 third for Volkmann, and MMA Fighting scores the fight for him 29-28. No doubt some judges will have it 30-27 for him.

Result: Jacob Volkmann def. Danny Castillo, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Cole Miller vs. T.J. O’Brien

Round 1: They touch gloves, surprising given yesterday’s heated moment at the weigh-ins. These guys are both tall. Not Stefan Struve tall, but tall. We dance for 30 seconds, looking for position. Both throw a few kicks and rights that miss. Miller blocks a high kick and pushes forward, but O’Brien just misses a big uppercut right that has the crowd making one giant “Ooooooh!” sound. O’Brien lands a nice body shot that has Miller thinking that wasn’t very nice. And O’Brien then comes forward with a nice combination. He blocks some of Miller’s combos a short time later, then checks an outside leg kick. With 90 seconds left, Miller lands a big right, then just misses another but follows it with an outside leg kick. He lands a pair of stiff left jabs, then a third. O’Brien blocks a high Miller kick, then comes forward with a body shot. It’s a pretty close first round, but we’ll go 10-9 Miller – though it could go either way.

Round 2: We trade leg kicks and look for openings to start the first minute of Round 2. Miller then backpedals to re-set. O’Brien comes forward and has Miller backing up just for a second, but Miller drops him with a left and starts to work kicks from up top while O’Brien lays on his back. But a really nice scramble by O’Brien has him to his feet – but just for a second. Miller dives back in and cranks on a guillotine, and he’s got it good. Though O’Brien is trying to get out, he can’t and he has to tap.

Result: Cole Miller def. T.J. O’Brien, submission (guillotine), 2:38 Round 2

Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes

Round 1:

Karlos Vemola vs. Ronny Markes

Round 1:

Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke

Round 1:

Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland

Round 1:

C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman

Round 1:

 

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CB Dollaway faces off against Jared Hamman at UFC on Versus 5.MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC card.

UFC on Versus 5 is the promotion’s debut in Wisconsin and takes place at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.

The preliminary card features eight fights, including a middleweight bout between C.B. Dollaway and Jared Hamman and a bantamweight contest between former WEC champion Eddie Wineland and former title challenger Joseph Benavidez.

The live blog is below.



Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt

Round 1: No glove touch, but we start anyway. Figueroa takes the center and Reinhardt circles to the right on the outside, then back left. Reinhardt is on his horse, not engaging, and grinning at Figueroa, now talking to him and clapping at him. The crowd is booing wildly. Figueroa finally catches him to throw a partially blocked kick. This has Kalib Starnes written all over it. Figueroa lands a right and drops Reinhardt, then locks in a standing guillotine. Reinhardt is trying to power out of it, and he eventually gets a little slam out of it and winds up on top. He transitions to Figueroa’s back and starts to work for a rear naked choke with a body triangle locked on. Figueroa gets out, though, and lands a shot from up top. They stand up, and when Figueroa engages, Reinhardt immediately drops to his back. They stand up again, and Reinhardt lands a decent right of his own. Back on the feet, Figueroa again lands a couple good shots and gets Reinhardt back on the ground, where he proceeds to land some pretty stiff shots from standing. Reinhardt does a somersault and rolls over. He has basically given up and is just laying there as the ref looks at him when the horn sounds. It’s a 10-8 round for Figueroa on our card thanks to Reinhardt’s running.

Round 2: We’re going to do a second round of this thing, and this time they touch gloves. Reinhardt again is on his horse, then shoots when Figueroa engages. There’s a scramble, and Figueroa ends up on top in full mount. Reinhardt rolls over and covers up and he’s not long for this fight. Pretty quickly, the ref steps in and it’s done. So, too, likely, is Reinhardt’s UFC career after the running in the first round.

Result: Edwin Figueroa def. Jason Reinhardt, TKO, 0:50 Round 2

Jacob Volkmann vs. Danny Castillo

Round 1: The legendary Mario Yamasaki gets things going. No glove touch. Volkmann shoots in early and they have a scramble in the clinch, but not much comes from it. They break apart and dance. Decent body kick from Castillo, who shortly thereafter misses a nice high kick. Then he lands an outside leg kick, followed by one on the inside. Volkmann shoots again and gets a soft takedown and looks to pass from half guard. He ties up Castillo’s right arm, then works for a side choke. But trying to hold on to that position costs him, as Castillo works his way out and gets top position. Volkmann settles back into guard, then nicely wall walks back to his feet as they clinch up. They separate around 1:50 and move back to the middle. After trading rights, Castillo lands one of the loudest body kicks in recorded history (we think) to Volkmann’s left ribcage. But Volkmann survives it and the two wind up in a scramble on the ground. It’s a tough first round to score, with each guy looking pretty effective. But MMA Fighting will give it, highly unofficially, to Castillo 10-9.

Round 2: After a few seconds of dancing, we clinch up along the fence. A few traded shots lead to Volkmann on his butt looking for a choke, and Castillo trying to work ground and pound. Yamasaki warns Castillo for holding Volkmann’s shorts and says he’ll take a point if he does it again. Volkmann wall walks back up, and then Castillo is warned for grabbing the fence, though it looked mild. A weird scramble leads to Volkmann on his back briefly, then on his knees, and he wrestles Castillo to his back and is in half guard. Then work for position, and Volkmann briefly has a choke that he can’t lock up as Castillo tries to reverse position. He works for it again, and it’s an arm-in modified guillotine. But Castillo will survive the round. Round 2 goes to Volkmann on our card, 10-9.

Round 3: Castillo lands a nice right hand 10 seconds in. Forty seconds later, the next action is a nice inside leg kick from him. They hit the ground briefly, but Volkmann has the edge there before Castillo scrambles quickly out and back to his feet. The crowd cheers the cat-and-mouse game. A short exchange in the middle leads to Volkmann again taking top position on the ground, controlling Castillo’s head and neck from half guard. He looks for some short elbows, but mainly this is a control game with Castillo’s right arm locked up. Volkmann isn’t doing much with the position, and it doesn’t look like it’s a choke he can lock down from where he’s at. Castillo wiggles out, but Volkmann gets to side control and looks for more elbows and again traps an arm and controls Castillo’s head. Castillo throws right knees from the ground, but that’s all he can do. The crowd is booing what it deems a stalling game by Volkmann. Castillo rolls over, and Volkmann works for his back. But nothing will happen. It’s a 10-9 third for Volkmann, and MMA Fighting scores the fight for him 29-28. No doubt some judges will have it 30-27 for him.

Result: Jacob Volkmann def. Danny Castillo, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Cole Miller vs. T.J. O’Brien

Round 1: They touch gloves, surprising given yesterday’s heated moment at the weigh-ins. These guys are both tall. Not Stefan Struve tall, but tall. We dance for 30 seconds, looking for position. Both throw a few kicks and rights that miss. Miller blocks a high kick and pushes forward, but O’Brien just misses a big uppercut right that has the crowd making one giant “Ooooooh!” sound. O’Brien lands a nice body shot that has Miller thinking that wasn’t very nice. And O’Brien then comes forward with a nice combination. He blocks some of Miller’s combos a short time later, then checks an outside leg kick. With 90 seconds left, Miller lands a big right, then just misses another but follows it with an outside leg kick. He lands a pair of stiff left jabs, then a third. O’Brien blocks a high Miller kick, then comes forward with a body shot. It’s a pretty close first round, but we’ll go 10-9 Miller – though it could go either way.

Round 2: We trade leg kicks and look for openings to start the first minute of Round 2. Miller then backpedals to re-set. O’Brien comes forward and has Miller backing up just for a second, but Miller drops him with a left and starts to work kicks from up top while O’Brien lays on his back. But a really nice scramble by O’Brien has him to his feet – but just for a second. Miller dives back in and cranks on a guillotine, and he’s got it good. Though O’Brien is trying to get out, he can’t and he has to tap.

Result: Cole Miller def. T.J. O’Brien, submission (guillotine), 2:38 Round 2

Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes

Round 1:

Karlos Vemola vs. Ronny Markes

Round 1:

Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke

Round 1:

Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland

Round 1:

C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman

Round 1:

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Win or Lose, Tonight Will Be Chris Lytle’s Swan Song

“Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!?” (Pic: OpenWalls.com)

Chris Lytle’s career has been something of an enigma. He’s a fan favorite that largely flies under the radar. He has a go-for-broke style that’s measured with solid technique and an enviable ground game. He sports a losing record in an organization that has awarded him a record number of post-fight performance bonuses. It’s the kind of engrossing tale that deserves a captivating, in depth interview to truly appreciate. But for a man who’s entire life is a lesson in self-sacrifice, there’s still much to give outside of the cage, and Lytle’s ready to turn the lights out on his fighting career.

Ariel Helwani broke the news in an interview with Lytle last night. Despite his participation in a sport where hype and self-promotion can help raise you to the top, it’s no surprise to hear “Lights Out” speaking only of others. “I’ve been fighting since ’98, fighting forever, a lot of it is just that I’m not doing my responsibilities like I need to at home. I feel like I’m not being the type of dad I want to. I got four kids and lots of times I feel just an immense sense of guilt for not being there in times when I should.”

More on Lytle’s plans for life outside of the cage after the jump.

“Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!?” (Pic: OpenWalls.com)

Chris Lytle’s career has been something of an enigma. He’s a fan favorite that largely flies under the radar. He has a go-for-broke style that’s measured with solid technique and an enviable ground game. He sports a losing record in an organization that has awarded him a record number of post-fight performance bonuses. It’s the kind of engrossing tale that deserves a captivating, in depth interview to truly appreciate. But for a man who’s entire life is a lesson in self-sacrifice, there’s still much to give outside of the cage, and Lytle’s ready to turn the lights out on his fighting career.

Ariel Helwani broke the news in an interview with Lytle last night. Despite his participation in a sport where hype and self-promotion can help raise you to the top, it’s no surprise to hear “Lights Out” speaking only of others. “I’ve been fighting since ’98, fighting forever, a lot of it is just that I’m not doing my responsibilities like I need to at home. I feel like I’m not being the type of dad I want to. I got four kids and lots of times I feel just an immense sense of guilt for not being there in times when I should.”

If you can accuse Lytle of anything, it’s putting other people’s concerns ahead of his own. Inside the cage, he refuses to employ tactics that could secure the win at the sacrifice of applause. Outside of it, he rushes toward scenes that others flee as a full-time firefighter. He’s also used his experience in the MMA world to improve the lives of at-risk youth and our military. Yet the veteran of 53 professional fights still feels like he could do more. “I just feel like I have a lot of things in my head that I feel guilty about. I have a great time fighting, and I love fighting—I want to do it all the time—but I think that sometimes it’s time for me to not think about what I want and start thinking about what’s best for other people.”

Part of “what’s best for other people” could be a run for office in his home state. Lytle is giving serious consideration to throwing his hat into the political arena and vying for a seat in the Indiana House or Senate.

A victory over Dan Hardy this evening will allow Lytle to balance the scales, to leave the fight game with a 10-10 record in the UFC. That would be a perfect reflection of a man who cares more about entertaining fans than he does which side of the win-lose column the hash mark falls on. If there’s any question what sort of performance Lytle is shooting for this evening, rest assured he’ll be out there fighting for you, the fans: “I want the people to want more, like, ‘Why is he gone? I want him to come back.’ That would be my dream for it to end like that.”

– Chris Colemon (@ChrisColemon)

 

Ben Henderson Hasn’t Forgotten Pettis, but Comfortable With His UFC Standing

Filed under: UFC, NewsMILWAUKEE – Alanis Morrisette would call it ironic. Don’t you think?

Eight months after taking an Anthony Pettis slapshot of a foot to the face, in what many consider the greatest single move in MMA history, Ben Henderson has to …

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MILWAUKEE – Alanis Morrisette would call it ironic. Don’t you think?

Eight months after taking an Anthony Pettis slapshot of a foot to the face, in what many consider the greatest single move in MMA history, Ben Henderson has to show up and fight in Milwaukee – Pettis’ home turf, where he is the city’s most beloved fighter.

But even though he is permanently tattooed with the memory of that Pettis kick off the cage at WEC 53 in December, one minute before Pettis took his WEC lightweight title and retired it, Henderson is just fine with how his career has progressed so far.

“I’ve taken baby steps all along in my career and it’s prepared me for the next step in all my fights,” Henderson said Friday after a short workout in Milwaukee. “I think this is just the next step, to be honest. It’s a good opportunity for me to play upset and I’m excited for it.”

If he’s to play upset, as he says, it won’t be a major one. Despite Jim Miller‘s seven-fight winning streak, and an almost certain lightweight title shot if he beats Henderson on Sunday at UFC on Versus 5, Miller is only about a 1.5-to-1 favorite in the fight.

Henderson (13-2, 1-0 UFC) rebounded from his loss at the WEC’s final event, which came in his backyard just outside Phoenix, and topped Mark Bocek at UFC 129 in Toronto in April. He said there were no first-time UFC jitters thanks to those baby steps he’s taken all along. But now he believes all the pressure is on Miller (20-2, 9-1 UFC).

“I think the onus is on him,” Henderson said. “If he wins, he for sure gets a title shot. If I win, good for me, but it’s not a guaranteed title shot.”

As for Pettis, who lost to Clay Guida in June in his UFC debut after being put on hold for his immediate UFC lightweight title shot thanks to the Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard draw, Henderson hasn’t forgotten the kick. And he wonders if Pettis was exposed by Guida.

“He did a spectacular move, got a lot of attention for it, he’s a great fighter – but a lot of times when you do those flashy moves, you’re elevated a little higher than your actual standing, perhaps,” Henderson said. “He was really highly elevated, and Clay Guida found a weakness in his game. I’m sure right now Pettis is in his gym working on his takedown defense.”

Henderson isn’t sure how the Milwaukee fans will react to him Sunday. But he is sure he’ll get a chance for payback against Pettis, or at least his right foot.

“Pettis’ biggest highlight reel is against my face,” Henderson said. “So his fans know who I am. … Before I retire, he and I will dance again. I’ve got something special in store for that fight.”

Henderson fights Jim Miller on Sunday in the co-main event of UFC on Versus 5 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The main card airs live on Versus at 9 p.m. Eastern.

 

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Chris Lytle Says UFC on Versus 5 Fight With Dan Hardy Is Retirement Bout

Filed under: UFC, NewsMILWAUKEE – Just one day after inferring a win over Dan Hardy could mean he had a title run left in him, Chris Lytle has announced his retirement.

Lytle, who fights Hardy in the main event of UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday in Milwauk…

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MILWAUKEE – Just one day after inferring a win over Dan Hardy could mean he had a title run left in him, Chris Lytle has announced his retirement.

Lytle, who fights Hardy in the main event of UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday in Milwaukee, informed UFC president Dana White that Sunday’s fight would be his last. NBC Sports reported the news early Sunday morning.

Lytle handed White an envelope before he weighed in at the Harley-Davidson Museum on Saturday. According to NBC Sports, the envelope held a letter thanking White and the UFC, and a formal intent to retire from the sport. In White’s video blog, put online late Saturday night, Lytle can be seen telling Hardy this would be his final fight.

“I’ve been fighting since ’98, fighting forever,” Lytle told NBC Sports. “A lot of it is just that I’m not doing my responsibilities like I need to at home. I feel like I’m not being the type of dad I want to. I’ve got four kids and lots of times I feel just an immense sense of guilt for not being there in times when I should.”

On Friday, following a short workout, Lytle was asked if he believed he could get back in the hunt for a shot at a UFC welterweight title. He owned a four-fight winning streak prior to his upset loss to Brian Ebersole in February.

“If I go out there and just put on great fights – and I’m trying to win all of them – and win in spectacular fashion, it’s not going to take eight fights,” said Lytle, who will turn 37 later this week. “It’s going to take a few. I feel like I’m still on the radar, and if I get a couple wins …”

But those couple wins apparently will not come. He’ll have a chance to go out with one victory against Hardy, in a main event fight nationally televised on Versus, before hanging up the gloves.

Lytle (30-18-5, 9-10 UFC) has put together one of the better career stories in MMA history. He made his UFC debut at UFC 28 in November 2000, predating even Zuffa’s purchase of the promotion. A loss to Ben Earwood put him at 5-6-3 in his pro career, with most of his fights at that point in Japan for Pancrase and in his home state of Indiana. He went on a nice run after his UFC debut and returned at UFC 45, but lost to Robbie Lawler.

A win over Pete Spratt outside the promotion got him called back, and he won consecutive submissions against Tiki Ghosn at UFC 47 and Ronald Jhun at UFC 49. After toggling back and forth between the UFC, WEC (not yet owned by Zuffa) and other promotions, Lytle was asked to join the Season 4 cast of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which featured former UFC fighters looking to make their way back to the promotion – with the winner guaranteed a title shot against Georges St-Pierre.

Lytle made it to the finals of TUF 4, but lost a close split decision to Matt Serra. Serra would go on to stun St-Pierre at UFC 69, winning the welterweight title in arguably the biggest upset in MMA history. But after his loss to Serra, only one of Lytle’s fights has been outside the UFC.

Though he has a sub-.500 record in the UFC, he can bring that mark to 10-10 with a win over Hardy on Sunday night. Hardy has lost three straight fights, and both fighters have promised to put on a Fight of the Night-caliber performance – and both are likely to come out looking for fireworks now that they know it’s Lytle’s last rodeo.

That news may have been part of the reason White decided to up the ante on Sunday night’s bonus amounts. Previous UFC on Versus shows have featured bonuses in the amounts of $40,000 and $50,000. For Sunday’s card, the post-fight bonus awards will be $65,000, putting it on par with UFC pay-per-view amounts. Lytle has won eight post-fight bonus awards, including Fight of the Night for his lost loss, at UFC 127, to Ebersole. At one point, Lytle won bonus awards in four straight fights and seven of eight appearances. In total, he has five Fight of the Night awards, two Submission of the Night bonuses and one Knockout of the Night. The eight total ties him with Anderson Silva for the UFC record, and he’ll likely be hoping to take the lead on Sunday.

Though Lytle said he thought a run at a title wasn’t beyond reach for him, he also told MMA Fighting on Friday that retirement had indeed crossed his mind after his loss to Ebersole.

“After this last fight, I had a lot of injuries and that was one of the things I was contemplating,” Lytle said. “I don’t want to keep fighting if I can’t perform like I’ve been doing. So I took some time off, hung out with the family a little bit and let my body heal up. I actually got to relax a little bit – it was pretty cool. I had about a month where I didn’t do too much. That’s a rarity.”

Apart from his UFC career, which at 20 fights is one of the most active in the promotion’s history, and more than 30 fights outside the promotion in a career spanning back to 1999, Lytle is also a former professional boxer who went 13-1-1 between 2002-2005, mostly near his Indianapolis home. He is also a full-time firefighter in Indianapolis, and recently announced he had formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for the Indiana legislature.

But it is his family life, with four children, that he told NBC Sports played the biggest factor.

“I just feel like I have a lot of things in my head that I feel guilty about,” Lytle said. “I have a great time fighting, and I love fighting – I want to do it all the time – but I think that sometimes it’s time for me to not think about what I want and start thinking about what’s best for other people.”

Lytle’s MMA swan song takes place at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee on Sunday. The main card airs live on Versus at 9 p.m. Eastern. In addition to the possibility of one last bonus check, a win by Lytle would also get him a new 2012 Harley-Davidson Blackline motorcycle. The UFC announced Friday that the main event winner will get the bike as a bonus. Harley-Davidson is based in Milwaukee and is one of the UFC’s top-tier sponsors.

 

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