Issue 121

Indiana fan favorite Chris Lytle tells all about his unsanctioned MMA bouts, fighting Nick Diaz and the day he decided to never have a boring fight again...

Q: It says on your record that you started your career in 1999, but you insist that’s wrong. When did you start fighting for money?

Chris: “I started fighting in 1998. It’s funny because when I fought my first fight in Japan it says I’m 1-0 on Sherdog when really I was something like 10-0. Back in the ‘90s, they didn’t put everything on the internet. There were a lot of local fights that I took. People ask me, ‘Were they amateur or professional fights?’ – but I didn’t even know they had amateur fights. If you went and fought, you got paid (laughs). I guess you would say they weren’t sanctioned bouts.”

Q: So how did you get into mixed martial arts, or unsanctioned bouts, especially considering it was still in its infancy?

“I got started because I was a wrestler in high school. I went to college and got talking to a friend of mine who was on the wrestling team, and he told me he was doing this thing called shoot fighting. He said it was like wrestling, but you could do chokeholds, armbars and you can hit people too. I trained with him and his team a few times and I immediately realized I was a better wrestler than most of the people there. I took to it pretty quickly. From there I began doing some local competitions and began doing really well. I was naturally talented at it.”

Q: You fought a young Nick Diaz in only his second fight. Was he similar to way he is now or was he a more calm, reserved individual?

“He was just a very good fighter, which was very frustrating for me, because I was supposed to fight Jake Shields, but he had a staph infection. So, they threw some guy at me who had only had one fight. I’d already fought a bunch of fights, already fought in Japan, and just had my first professional boxing bout. So I was a bit perplexed as to why I was fighting this 20-year-old kid (laughs). I remember I lost a split decision in a very close fight with Nick. It was a really good, back-and-forth fight and you can still watch it on YouTube now, I think. I contemplated quitting fighting afterwards, because I couldn’t believe I’d been beaten by a guy who’d only had one fight. Little did I know then he would turn out to be one of the best fighters in the world.”

Q: You’ve gained a reputation as a fighter who likes to put on a show, which is something some people feel uncomfortable with. However, you seem to enjoy it. What made you become that type of fighter?

“I really became that type of fighter after the first time I fought Matt Serra (TUF 4 Finale, 2006). I had that type of mentality at the beginning of my career, but the closer you get to the spotlight, the more it gets away from you. It becomes more about winning and losing than having fun and entertaining the fans. After that first fight with Serra, I told myself that I would never fight that way again. I realized that I’d lost a fight before and I’m sure I’d lose a fight again, but I’m not going to go out there and not do everything I can to win a fight.”

Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of fighters?

“I would say the next generation need to go out there and realize it’s not all about winning and losing. You have to go out there and do everything you can to finish the fight. That’s the sort of mentality and performance that’s going to make this sport grow. That’s what’s going to make people want to see you fight”

Chris Lytle retired in 2011 with a boxing record of 13 wins, 1 loss and an MMA record of 31-18, winning five of his last six fights. In his entire fighting career he was never knocked out or submitted.