UFC: Chris Lytle wins last career fight by submitting Dan Hardy in stand-up slugfest

Dan Hardy’s dramatic UFC career was set for a resurgence. What he did not bank on was opponent Chris Lytle announcing his retirement, and the American delivered, winning the first two rounds in a stand up slugfest, and then submitting the Nottingham fighter in the final round.

If Hardy thought he may face being ‘retired’ himself after four consecutive losses in the Octagon, UFC supremo had other thoughts. He tweeted after the contest that he loved fighters who came to have wars, and that Hardy would not be cut.

“It’s a back against the wall fight, it’s a do or die fight. It’s forward or unconscious,” Hardy had said going into this contest. Lytle had never been knocked out or submitted in his time in the UFC. It wasn’t going to happen in this contest.

Lytle, with 20 fights in the UFC, joined BJ Penn with 20 fights, with only Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz having fought more times in the organisation. Five fights of the night, two submissions of the night, one KO of the night. Some record.

Lytle went straight for the body in round one, and landed with several bowling right hooks. Hardy had success himself with the left hook, kicks and a knee. They stood and let the punches go, but Lytle’s timing was there, Hardy’s counter punching was not. It set the pattern for the fight. As Hardy took more punishment, so his work grew ragged as the fight wore on.

Hardy had success in the second round with a big right hand that swung his foe around, and as they tied up, the man with the mohawk landed a knee to the body. A finger from a Lytle jab caught Hardy in the eye and they paused. As the second round drew to a close, Lytle made it his round. For me, Lytle won rounds one and two. Hardy went for broke in the third, and as he inexplicably went for a takedown late in the fight, Lytle caught him in a choke and Hardy tapped out.

Hardy put it all the line, but this was not the best of his work on show. It remains to be seen what his future holds within the UFC.