Tag: Chris Lytle

UFC on Versus 5 Live Blog: Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle Updates

Filed under: UFCMILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle, the main event of tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

This will be the final fight in the career of Lytle (30-18-5, 9-10 UFC), who anno…

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Dan Hardy faces Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5.MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle, the main event of tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

This will be the final fight in the career of Lytle (30-18-5, 9-10 UFC), who announced late Saturday he will hang up the gloves following this bout. After a four-fight winning streak had his name being talked about for a possible welterweight title shot, Lytle suffered an upset loss to Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 in February that prompted his thoughts of retirement. Hardy (23-9, 1 NC, 4-3 UFC) is in desperate need of a victory, having dropped three straight starting with a welterweight title loss to Georges St-Pierre.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Chris Lytle touches gloves to open things up for the last time. He’ll retire after this fight. And he comes forward first with a left, then a left and a body shot. These two have promised to stand and bang, and that’s what we’re getting early as Hardy lands a few nice shots. Lytle is working nice shots to the body. The crowd starts a “USA!” chant, but it doesn’t last long. Nice combo from Lytle, and then another one. He blocks a high Hardy kick. Hardy then lands a nice right. Big bombs from both, and they both smile. Another to the body from Lytle. And another. Lytle swings hard, but misses and stumbles as he does. Then he eats a pair of lefts from Hardy. The crowd starts a “Let’s go Lytle!” chant, and he catches Hardy with a few punches. But hardy is coming forward. Lytle lands a nice left hook that bounces Hardy’s head back a little. It’s a fun first round, and we’ll give it 10-9 to Lytle in his swan song.

Round 2: Lytle comes forward immediately and lands two nice rights. They stand and trade some more, with Lytle getting the better, but Hardy landing some, too. Hardy does a little damage, then hits Lytle with one that buckles his knees. Lytle clinches up in defense, and Hardy lands a knee before they break. On the break, Lytle paws a left jab and Hardy gets a finger in the eye. He’ll take a break for a second, and then they start right back up. Lytle lands big shots, and Hardy smiles them off. Hardy lands a big right, and Lytle buckles again. But he stays on his feet and they go to the ground. But it’s right back up again. Left-right-left from Lytle rocks Hardy, but Hardy keeps pushing forward. A great big right from Lytle lands. But Hardy stays right in the pocket. Hardy stops to check the clock at 30 seconds, and they keep trading leather, including a nice left from Lytle as the round comes to a close. Despite the two from Hardy that landed flush, we’ll give the round to Lytle 10-9.

Round 3: Lytle walks out for the last time to start a round. But he gets right back to scrapping. Hardy lands a few good knees and some punches. A couple to the body, then head for Lytle. Both fighters are showing the effects of 12 minutes of slugging it out, but they’re not gassed. Both are landing decent shots – but none big enough to put any kind of finishing touch on. When Hardy covers up, Lytle goes to the body, then pops him in the mouth after that. Nice knee from Hardy is followed by a right that pushes Lytle back. Both guys throw haymakers that just miss. With a minute left, thy start really throwing down. And Hardy pulls a stunner and shoots. Not a good idea. Lytle wraps him up, locks in a choke … and Hardy taps! Lytle wins his finale – and there’s a very good likelihood he’s going to get a double bonus for Sub of the Night and Fight of the Night.

Result: Chris Lytle def. Dan Hardy, submission (guillotine), 4:16 Round 3

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UFC on Versus 5 Results: Jacob Volkmann Takes Decision over Danny Castillo

In a battle of experienced wrestlers, former WEC competitor Danny Castillo battled multi-time All American Jacob Volkmann in a lightweight contest. Volkmann immediately looked for the clinch from the opening bell, but Castillo shrugged him away.  …

In a battle of experienced wrestlers, former WEC competitor Danny Castillo battled multi-time All American Jacob Volkmann in a lightweight contest.

Volkmann immediately looked for the clinch from the opening bell, but Castillo shrugged him away.  Castillo launched multiple leg kicks toward the southpaw Volkmann, looking to take out his lead leg..  Cutting off the cage, Volkmann scored with a takedown.  From the half guard, Volkmann locked in a D’arce choke and threatened to end the fight.  Castillo managed to escape and ended inside Volkmann’s half guard.  Volkmann returned to his feet and used a guillotine to prevent Castillo from taking the fight back to the ground.  Castillo effectively used his striking to set up a double leg takedown attempt, but Volkmann sprawled and the round came to a close.

Castillo scored early in the second round with a takedown that was setup with an aggressive striking barrage.  Volkmann, with his back again the cage, continued to threaten with chokes, transitioning from a D’Arce to an arm-in guillotine.  Volkmann briefly had a crucifix position, but the two scrambled quickly.  Volkmann transitioned and landed in Castillo’s half guard in the center of the cage.  Another D’arce attempt, and Castillo again gets out, but Volkmann looked for it a third time as the round ended.

Likely down two rounds, Castillo looked to attack on the feet as the final stanza began.  Looking uncomfortable on the feet Volkmann attempted to bring the fight to the ground, but Castillo scrambled away.  In a repeat of the first two rounds, Volkmann scored with takedown, landing in half guard, and worked for a choke.  From side control, Volkmann still could not finish off Castillo with the D’arce and Castillo would escape yet again.  As soon as the attempt ended, Volkmann latched it on again like a vice as the fight concluded.

The judges all rewarded the Minnesota-based Volkmann for the performance, giving him a unanimous decision nod on the scorecards.

Official result: Jacob Volkmann def. Danny Castillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

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.

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)

 

UFC Live 5: Chris Lytle vs. Dan Hardy Main Event Breakdown

Filed under: UFCThere are two ways to think about Sunday night’s Chris Lytle vs. Dan Hardy matchup: what it could be, and what it is likely to be. By almost all accounts, Lytle has a vastly superior ground game to Hardy. It is an area where he can cont…

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There are two ways to think about Sunday night’s Chris Lytle vs. Dan Hardy matchup: what it could be, and what it is likely to be. By almost all accounts, Lytle has a vastly superior ground game to Hardy. It is an area where he can control and perhaps even finish the fight. But it is an advantage he is unlikely to be too interested in exploiting.

Lytle (30-18-5) simply doesn’t do that. A former boxer, he prefers to trade strikes with the belief that he has better hands than his opponent, and that fans have a greater appreciation for the standup portion of mixed martial arts. While that philosophy has led to more losses than he might otherwise have on his ledger, it has also kept him steadily employed in the UFC despite a 9-10 record in the organization.

The crowd-pleaser has promised that nothing will change against Hardy. It’s a promise Hardy has heard before. In his last bout, he faced Anthony Johnson, a noted slugger who vowed to go toe-to-toe with him. But when the fight began, Johnson changed course, taking Hardy down four times and forcing him to spend nearly the entire 15-minute fight on his back.

Resisting wrestlers has been one of Hardy’s biggest weaknesses. According to FightMetric, in his his seven UFC fights, he’s only stopped 31 percent of takedown tries.

Even if fans didn’t know the percentage, they knew that was one area in which he has trouble. Not so obvious are his issues in the standup department. While Hardy is 23-9 with one no contest in his career largely on the strength of his striking, it is surprising to look further into the numbers.

The most glaring one is that Hardy gets hit far more often than he connects himself, a trait not shared by most high-level fighters. According to FightMetric’s numbers, Hardy lands 1.77 strikes per minute while absorbing 2.43 strikes per minute. Unless you hold a serious edge in power, those numbers do not translate well to winning.

Compustrike’s numbers show the same issue. According to them, Hardy’s seven UFC opponents have out-landed him in the standing portion of the fight 53.4 percent to 46.1 percent. He’s made up some of the difference in volume, firing off more strikes over the course of his bouts.

That volume edge might be nullified by Lytle, who is a very active striker, landing an average of 3.43 strikers per minute — a number almost twice that of Hardy.

Even as he ages — Lytle turns 37 next week — he hasn’t really slowed down. During a September 2010 fight against Matt Serra, Lytle landed 153 significant strikes by FightMetric’s count. Combined with Matt Serra’s 124, the pair set a record for the most combined landed significant strikes in a fight. The mark sailed past the old record, which was held by Paul Taylor and … you guessed it, Chris Lytle.

In his last fight, though, Lytle wasn’t really himself, throwing only 72 standing strikes, well below his usual range. Though he didn’t disclose it at the time, just four weeks before the fight, he’d had his right meniscus removed. That’s not the type of injury that allows you to fight at full strength such a short time later, making the loss seem more understandable.

Given Lytle’s striking skills and clear advantage on the ground — hey, it might end up there by accident — it’s fair to tilt this match in his direction. But there is also the possibility that this injury combined with age will slow him down, and he won’t be quite the dynamic force he’s been all these years. If he’s not, Hardy may begin to pick him apart. One stat worth noting that is wildly in Hardy’s favor is reach. He has six inches of reach on Lytle.

That’s not always been a problem for Lytle to navigate. He understands how to get in and out, and even if he doesn’t always avoid the fight-changing shots, he’s always shown a good enough chin to stand strong under pressure. (In over 50 pro fights, his two career TKO losses are both due to cuts.)

Since the start of 2007, Lytle is 8-5, and he’s been nobody’s stepping stone. Even standup heavy specialists have had their troubles with him. With Hardy’s propensity to get hit, Lytle will have his moments, and with Hardy’s offensive skills and reach, he’ll fire back and connect, making this a tough one to score for judges. Let’s hope it gets finished, because three rounds may otherwise not be enough to decisively determine a winner. In the end though, it’s tough to pick a fighter who gets hit as often as Hardy does. Lytle by split decision.

 

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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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