Thursday, January 08, 2009

Rocky Road to Dublin: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with Chris ‘Lights Out’ Lytle

Originally posted on MMAmania.com

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought Paul Taylor at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England. First off, great fight.

Chris Lytle: Thank you.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): MMAmania.com recently named it one of the year’s best. It was a very close fight. Did you expect to win by unanimous decision?

Chris Lytle: Well, it was a tough one ‘cause I’ve had a lot of fights over in other countries. Usually when you’re fighting in someone else’s hometown, you lose a lot of close decisions. I had seen a guy I knew from — like I said, I fought in Japan a lot and lost some fights I thought I won there — and one of the guys I knew from (Japan), a guy named (Akihiro) Gono, fought on the same (UFC 89) card. I personally thought he won his fight, but he was fighting a British guy (Dan Hardy), and (Gono) lost the decision.*

* NOTE: Hardy defeated Gono via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

So after the fight, I kinda thought it was going to be close. But I’ve learned from a lot of my fights to do some little things to try to win each round. Like for example, each round I tried to make sure I got at least one takedown and didn’t give up any takedowns. I tried to always be the aggressor, pushing him back, keeping his back against the fence. If he tried to spin me around, I’d spin him right back around, put him in the fence, be more aggressive and try to land the heavier shots.

I definitely felt like I did the little things to win the fight, but when it comes down to it, you’re looking at three other guys who are going to decide if you win. I really didn’t know.

It was a real close fight. He’s a lot tougher than I had anticipated. I knew he was going to be fast and quick, but, man, he was a tough guy, and I thought it was a great fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Absolutely, it was. After the fight, you called out Marcus Davis to fight in Dublin. How stoked were you to find out you had gotten your wish?

Chris Lytle: Ah, I was real excited. That’s the type of fight I’ve been wantin’ — stand-up guys, guys who just like to sit there and bang it out. Marcus and I have known each other for a while, just ‘cause we’ve both been in the UFC. Just knowing that’s his style and that’s what he likes to do, and that’s what I like to do, I think we both kinda thought that this would happen at some point, and it hasn’t. So now that it’s happening, I think we’re both pretty happy about it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yeah. So there wasn’t anything personal there …

Chris Lytle: No, no, no. Right now, you know, some of the guys who I want to fight are guys who I’m actually friends with — not really friends, but who I’m friendly with. I really don’t have anything against most of the guys. I just think those are the types of fights I love.

Even like when I have guys come into town, and I’m sparring in the gym with them or whatever, just certain types of people, I don’t really care if there’s five people watching or 50,000 people watching. I really enjoy certain types of sparring or fighting. That’s what I’m looking for right now. That’s what motivates me — being involved in fights like this.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So are you hoping for a stand-up battle, or do you expect this fight to be all over the cage?

Chris Lytle: I always plan for it to be a little bit of everything, but without a doubt, I’m wantin’ a stand-up battle. That’s kinda what we both like to do. I don’t foresee it going any other way.

......................

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well again, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words for your fans?

Chris Lytle: For my fans I’ll say 2009 is going to be my year. I think you guys are really going to see what I bring to the table. I’m coming to bring it, and people are going to love it. I just want to thank my guys at MMAagents and TapouT for always sticking by my side.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAmania.com

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