Apparently not wanting to repeat their critically-panned “Ultimate Finale” bout, Matt Serra and Chris Lytle engaged in an absolute slugfest at UFC 119.
While there was the occasional rest period, for the majority of the three-round affair, Serra and Lytle were bringing the pain with heavy punch attempts. There were virtually no kick attempts, and even though Serra has world-class jiu-jitsu, he showed little interest in bringing this to the ground. They wanted this to steal the show as a striking affair.
Did they? And who won? The result follows:
Chris Lytle b. Matt Serra via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
*Story of the fight: The first debate-free decision of the main card. As would be expected in a slugfest, the more proficient Lytle had the clear advantage. Serra had a few glimpses of hope with some hard punches, but most of the fight belonged to Lytle, who rocked Serra on multiple occasions with varied punches. Serra deserves respect for his chin and admiration for ‘standing and banging’ with the superior striker, but as far as who won, there was absolutely no question. Lytle was both more accurate and more damaging on the feet.