Issue 057
December 2009
Lyle Beerbohm has finished 22 of the 23 fighters who have stood in his way, but life hasn’t always been as plain-sailing for the freestyle wrestler-turned-MMA fighter.
Why ‘Fancy Pants’?
I got the nickname ‘Fancy Pants’ because of mom. She’s 70 years old and she sows, and I found a couple of bits of really crazy material that she owned, so I asked her to make me a pair of fancy pants. She produced a really crazy pair of colorful pants, that’s where I got the nickname.
What do you remember about your first ever MMA fight?
My first fight came eight days after I had left prison. I trained for about five days and then got the fight a few days later. I fought in a ring and it was the only time I have ever pulled guard. I pulled guard into a guillotine and guillotined the guy. I had watched the old UFCs – one, two and three – I always practiced the guillotine, and I had it pretty tight.
How are your nerves before a fight?
I didn’t get nervous in any of my amateur fights. I’m a lot more nervous now. If I want to take care of my family I’ve got to win fights. If I’m not winning fights I’m not making any money and then I can’t support my family. That’s the biggest nerve-racker right there.
You’ve spent a year in prison. Why was that and how do you reflect on it?
When I left high school I started dealing drugs. One thing led to another and I started using drugs until I became addicted to crystal meth. In a six-to eight-year period I lost everything, I lost my family, I got eight felony charges and then ended up in prison.
While I was inside I started watching The Ultimate Fighter and I was like ‘are you kidding me? These guys are on TV fighting and making money?’ Right there I decided that was what I was going to do, and on the day I was released my parents dropped me off at an MMA gym on the way home.
And the drugs?
I’ll be honest, I was a needle user and there are times I’ll come across some sort of trigger, but I will never change my life again. I’ve got my daughter back in my life and MMA really has changed my life. I traded one addiction for another; I swapped crystal meth for MMA. But here’s the crucial thing, if I got injured and had to give up MMA tomorrow, I’m now in a position where I have my head on my shoulders, I have my family, and I don’t need anything to keep me going.
Learn any fighting tricks while you were inside?
I had a few fights in prison; I won all of those. I tried to keep myself to myself and avoid confrontation, but my natural ability in life is to fight and when it comes down to it... that’s what I’m really, really good at.
Your last fight was watched by 6,000. Do you just get better the bigger the occasion is?
For some reason that is definitely true. Back in my wrestling days I’d be the varsity guy, but the guy challenging me for my varsity spot would always give me a run for my money. Once I get out under the spotlight, that’s when I really get going.
What is your most memorable moment in MMA?
Three months after I left prison I fought a college wrestler called Dean Henderson and everybody told me not to fight him. He beat me up in the first round, he took the wind out of me and hit me so hard that I couldn’t see. But it ended up going five rounds and I ended up TKO’ing him in that final round. That’s when I knew I would be good in this sport. A lot of people are talented, but that was the day I knew I had the heart to go with it.
Lyle Beerbohm spoke with Ben Blackmore.
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