INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 11 -- Chris "Light Out" Lytle (24-14-5) picked up his second straight victory by submission with a guillotine choke over Columbus, Ohio's Matthew Brown (10-6) at the 2:49 mark of the second round in front of a partisan crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday night.
For Lytle, fighting in Conseco Fieldhouse, one of the biggest venues available in Indiana, was an experience the UFC veteran said he won't soon forget.
"It was a dream come true," said Lytle. "We've never had a fight like this in Indiana. This was one of the biggest things around. So to be a part of that and be in the main event and be victorious, I'll remember this one for a long time. This one will go up there with my most favorite fights."
Entering the ring to David Bowie's "Fame," the Indianapolis based welterweight seemed to be the most famous man in The Circle City, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
"It was great," Lytle said of the crowd's reaction during his entrance. "It was good when I knew my fight was coming up and I heard the crowd getting fired up."
Lytle was preparing to face a wrestler in Tristan Yunker (Pictures) before he had to pull out of the fight. Brown had more of a stand-up game to go with a jiu-jitsu game, but Lytle kept preparing to face a grappler.
"I just kept going about it like I was going to face a wrestler," said Lytle. "I worked on a lot of takedown defense and a lot of wrestling. With a stand-up guy, I didn't know if I was going to switch gears totally or just enough."
In the first round Lytle and Brown traded blows on their feet before the fight went to the ground. Lytle pulled guard and looked to sink in the guillotine at that point but Brown fought his way out of it.
Brown was game for the fight, despite taking it on just four weeks notice. Brown showed he was versatile with his hands as well as on the ground. At one point the six-foot tall jiu-jitsu specialist nearly had an armbar on Lytle from his back, but Lytle fought out and sunk in the choke for the win.
"He was tough," Lytle said of his Brown. "Every fighter is tough. Anybody that's been in it for a little while, you're going to be fighting tough guys. Anyone can be upset. People can say that this guy should've got knocked out, should have this, should have that -- but everybody at this level is good. That was a fight, that guy (Brown) could've cared less if this was the UFC, UFL or whatever -- he was coming to take my head off."
Lytle was faced with a choice between fighting in the main event in his home town on the UFL card or being in a co-main event on the next UFC Fight Night on Spike TV.
"They (UFC) had talked about me doing that, but I told them I already had a thing in Indianapolis. I was like they aren't that close together and maybe do both, but Spike wouldn't allow it," Lytle said. "They wanted me to fight Mike Swick (Pictures), but they were like 'you can't do both.'"
The night also featured Muncie, Indiana's Gary "Iron Bear" Myers (13-10) against Sam Toole (7-4). Myers came into the fight ready to charge and that's just what the former Olympic alternate did. Poole sidestepped the charge and landed a left hook to Myers' ear that rattled the veteran. Myers attempted to grab a single-leg to give himself a chance to recover, but Poole kept firing away landing hooks and jabs to earn a TKO victory at the midway mark of the first round.
Following the match, Myers removed his wrestling shoes and covered them in a towel in the center of the cage to signify that this was indeed his last fight and was retiring from the sport.
"I cut 60 pounds to make it for this fight," Myers said after the match. "I've been competing for 30 years and tonight I'm done. I tell ya, what a rush. I've been all over the world three or four times and you don't do what I've done. ... I've won a lot of fights, but this time I'm on the other end of it. But it's a good day, I'm done."
In other action:
Johnny Rees (11-0) stayed unbeaten with a submission victory via rear-naked choke over Scott Henze (18-8-2) at the 4:30 mark of the second round.
Nate Moore executed an armbar to submit Ricco Talamantes just 70 seconds into the first round.
Shamar Bailey defeated Matt Delanoit by unanimous decision.
Todd Brown used a triangle choke to force Jeremiah Adriano to tapout 1:54 in the second round.
Darrell Smith picked up at TKO victory over Shaw Bradbury due to strikes at 2:44 of the first.
Pat McPherson used effective stand-up to earn a unanimous decision over Brian Dunn.
Anthony Lapsley got a win against Brent Weedman (Pictures) due to a doctor stoppage because of a cut over the right eye in round one.
In a super heavyweight attraction, Jeremy "Tiny" Norton downed Brian Veach for a TKO win in the first round at 2:47.
Chris Frayer scored with a quick submission victory due to an armbar over Victor Vitola with just 32 seconds gone in the first round.
James Douglas was another TKO winner, stopping Jeremy Steward at 1:57 of the second round.
Jeremy Wingler opened the night with a TKO win over Dominic Desando at the 1:25 mark of round two due to strikes.