Sporting Goods: Chris Lytle

Showing posts with label Chris Lytle. Show all posts

Sunday, August 14, 2011

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.

UFC: Versus 5 Dan Hardy v Chris Lytle LIVE BLOG

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

Bantamweight Bout: US Edwin Figueroa vs. US Jason Reinhardt

Figueroa TKO (punches) 0:50 Rd 2.

Lightweight Bout: US Jacob Volkmann vs. US Danny Castillo

Volkmann unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Lightweight Bout: US Cole Miller vs. US T.J. O’Brien

Miller submission rd 2

Featherweight bout: US Alex Caceres vs. US Jimy Hettes

Hettes submission rd 2

Light Heavyweight Bout: Czech Rep Karlos Vemola vs. BRZ Ronny Markes

Middleweight Bout: US Ed Herman vs. Aus Kyle Noke

Bantamweight Bout: US Joseph Benavidez vs. US Eddie Wineland

Middleweight bout: US C.B. Dollaway vs. US Jared Hamman

Main Card

Welterweight Bout: US Amir Sadollah vs. US Duane Ludwig

Lightweight Bout: BRZ Charles Oliveira vs. US Donald Cerrone

Lightweight Bout: US Jim Miller vs. US Ben Henderson

Welterweight Bout: Eng Dan Hardy vs. US Chris Lytle

Friday, August 12, 2011

Dan Hardy: Statement of intent needed against Chris Lytle for UFC career-saver

danhardypic

The Outlaw needs to return to the fold. Anything less than a victory for Nottingham’s Dan Hardy in the early hours of Monday morning (UK time), in Milwaukee against American Chris Lytle could see the mohawked warrior sidelined from the Octagon and into Strikeforce. Nothing is clear that such a path has been laid for Hardy – either by the UFC hierarchy, or by the fighter himself. But he headlines a main event and one suspects that anything other than a thriller, if he loses, and the straps could be cut loose.

Hardy has surfed a wave of popularity since his defeats of firstly Marcus Davis, and then Mike Swick. He left them both, broken men, in his wake. Then came the five-round title fight with UFC welterweight champion George St Pierre, a bizarre contest last year in Newark, New Jersey, when Hardy was grounded for almost 25 minutes but strangely raised his stock in an unsatisfactory performance by both men.

Two defeats followed. A sudden knockout to Carlos Condit, followed by a wrestling exhibition by Anthony Johnson. Has Hardy been treading water for 12 months ? We’ll find out when he meets Lytle, a battle which on paper had all the ingredients of a barnburner. Lytle, a part-time fireman, is accustomed to putting out such flames, and may take a liking to the flame-red hair Hardy sports for this contest.

Hardy has switched to training in Las Vegas in recent months. Will it have done him any good ? Is his stand-up game now entrenched in his mindset ? It is certainly one of the things on Lytle’s mind. Lytle explained his philosophy behind the contest to The Telegraph this week. “When I fought Matt Hughes and lost by split decision [5 years ago], I went away that night really unhappy about it. Trying to get through fights to just get a win and further your career is not for me. I changed my attitude, and I’ve lost fights since bit have been happy that I have given my all. My attitude has been since then that whatever happens, I’m going out there to finish fights.”

Since that night five years ago against Hughes, Lytle has fought twelve times. He has been involved in fight of the night five times, and has won a knockout of the night and submission of the night twice. He is true to his word. He represents one of Hardy’s toughest opponents all-round. He has a deep respect for Hardy, but has advantages on the ground.

“Hardy is a real dangerous opponent. He has great hands, a very dangerous left hook, and he has fought for the welterweight title, so there are real dangers and I do leave myself open to punches with the way I fight. I’m not saying I would not take this fight to the ground, but if we do end up on the ground, I’ll be looking to finish him. I won’t be lying there fiddling through it,” Lytle told The Telegraph. The scene is set for Hardy, arguably one of the most popular mixed martial artists ever in Britain, to get his UFC career back on track…

Elsewhere on the main event, Jim Miller could put himself in contention for a lightweight title shot if he can beat Ben Henderson, the former WEC champion and Donald Cerrone and Charles Oliviera are matched up in what should be a thriller.

Telegraph main card picks: Lytle, Miller, Cerrone, Sadollah.

HOW TO WATCH THE EVENT:

Prelims are on the UFC Facebook page from 10.45pm on Sunday night.

On television:

Sky customers can watch the main event free from 2am on Premier Sports, Channel 433.

In Ireland, fans can watch the main event free from 2am on Channel 423 Setanta Ireland

The main event is also free to air – and on demand for a week – on UFC.TV online.