Chris Lytle: “I Train too Hard to Be Conservative”

By John Morgan/TAGG Radio

Longtime UFC fighter Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (24-15-5 MMA, 3-7 UFC) has one expectation for his fight this Saturday night with UFC newcomer Kyle Bradley (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC): Fight of the Night.

“I want a possible Fight of the Night (performance) where he’s going to come out and throw a lot of punches, and so am I,” Lytle said on today’s edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com). “That’s what I think I’m getting”

Lytle admittedly doesn’t know much about the Team Voodoo trained Bradley, but he’s impressed by what he has seen.

“I’ve seen him fight a few times, and I liked what I saw,” Lytle said. “He’s good all around. I wouldn’t be surprised if we go to the ground some, too… I think it’s going to be all over the place, and there’s going to be a lot of finishing moves going on”

A little more than a year ago, Lytle lost a controversial decision to Matt Serra that cost him a title shot, but Lytle said he has moved past that moment.

“I’d like to think things happen for a reason, but I guess I don’t really believe that,” Lytle said. “It just happened, and I can’t do anything about it. Now it doesn’t help me to think about it. It just pisses me off, so I try to look to the future.”

Lytle went on to say it was lessons learned from that fight that have helped fuel a more aggressive style in the cage.

“I fought Matt Serra, and my whole goal was just to do more than him,” Lytle said. “It didn’t work for me, and I was like, ‘Man that’s boring.’ I just want to go out there and fight my ass off. Since I’ve been thinking like that, I just want to go out there and hurt the guy and submit the guy and knock him out as soon as I can.”

Win or lose, Lytle fully expects to be involved in another battle similar to his last outing, a spirited loss to Thiago Alves that earned both warriors $55,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

“I’m just going out there and leave it all out there and if they say that I win, cool,” Lytle said. “I train too hard to be conservative.”

Lytle also discussed his life outside of fighting as a full-time firefighter, as well his thoughts on the UFC’s treatment of Brock Lesnar, Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. To hear the full interview, download Thursday’s edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

Lytle and Bradley will meet on the undercard of UFC 81: Breaking Point, which airs live on pay-per-view this Saturday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., hosts the event.

TAGG Radio will broadcast live today from the Mandalay Bay and will welcome former heavyweight champion Frank Mir and UFC commentator Mike Goldberg to the show. Tune in at noon ET/9 a.m. PT at www.taggradio.com.

This story was produced by TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com) specially for MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The show — which is hosted by fighter/broadcaster Frank Trigg, Gorgeous George and Goze — books some of the biggest names in MMA. Download all the former episodes at www.taggradio.com, or tune into TAGG Radio’s live shows Monday-Friday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.