Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm: ‘It’s never too late to change your life’

Originally posted on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

During my journey through the fascinating and constantly exciting world of mixed martial arts, few stories have served to humble and inspire me in the manner that my good friend Lyle Beerbohm’s has. If you’re not familiar with this undefeated mercenary of the cage with the unforgettable neon fight shorts, allow me to supply a brief summary of what “Fancy pants” is all about.

Lyle was a star wrestler in high school before completely losing focus on his athletic side upon graduation and immersing himself in the nasty world of drugs. Crystal meth was his drug of choice and it was just a matter of time before Beerbohm found himself incarcerated inside of a state penitentiary due to his addiction to the unforgiving drug. It was during his stay in prison that Lyle had the opportunity to watch a new television show that was being called “The Ultimate Fighter”. From that point on Lyle knew what he had to do with his life to right the ship.

Beerbohm began training in mixed martial arts the day he got released from prison, literally. It was on the drive home from his time spent behind bars that Lyle begged his father to pull over and allow him to check out a local gym. He hasn’t taken a back step since.

Click here to read the entire article on fiveouncesofpain.com

Strikeforce's Lyle Beerbohm happy with win, but TV slot and title shot on short list of goals

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Unless you bought a ticket for this past weekend's "Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg" in Kent., Wash., you didn't get a chance to see lightweight Lyle Beerbohm's (10-0) first-round submission win over Duane "Bang" Ludwig.

The preliminary card fight, Beerbohm's biggest win to date, didn't make it onto the evening's Showtime broadcast.

But while "Fancy Pants" recently admitted to MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that he was disappointed not to make the airwaves, Beerbohm is confident Strikeforce won't make the same mistake next time.

"I was pretty disappointed (that I wasn't on TV)," Beerbohm said. "Of course I want to be on TV. I want everybody to see my mug, and the simple fact is you don't get the sponsorship money when you're not on TV. I'm a broke fighter, and I need money.

"But it's going to come to me. I've only been doing this for a little over two years, training and fighting. I'll be a little bit more patient, and I'm sure I'll be on TV from here on out. It's all going to work out for me."

Beerbohm submitted Ludwig with an infrequently utilized bulldog choke – one of Beerbohm's specialty that he as dubbed the "Beer-Naked Choke."

MMAjunkie.com Radio: Strikeforce lightweight up-and-comer Lyle Beerbohm

Four days after securing the biggest win of his career – after having his agent pick the type of submission to end the fight – Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm joins MMAjunkie.com Radio to discuss his breakout performance.

The Strikeforce lightweight, a former inmate who used Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA to clean up his life, will break down his bulldog choke of Duane "Bang" Ludwig at the latest "Strikeforce Challengers" event and his now perfect 10-0 record.

Catch MMAjunkie.com Radio Monday-Friday at 12:05 p.m. EST (9:05 a.m. PST) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch the show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Lyle Beerbohm's called shot at Strikeforce just latest chapter in unusual story

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

With a nickname like "Fancy Pants," it's fairly easy to conclude that Lyle Beerbohm (10-0) is not your typical fighter.

At Friday night's "Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg," Beerbohm added another chapter to his quickly growing legend, borrowing a page from baseball history.

Reminiscent of Babe Ruth's pointing to centerfield, Beerbohm picked a finishing move before his preliminary card fight began, then went out and did it, choking out Duane Ludwig (18-9) with a schoolyard choke at 4:27 of the first-round.

The move was actually in answer to a challenge by Beerbohm's equally colorful manager, Ken Pavia, issued while the two talked backstage before the fights.

"I was acting cocky backstage, and I told [Pavia] to name the finishing move," Beerbohm told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following the bout.

Pavia said he originally suggested a head kick, but then settled on the schoolyard choke after Beerbohm declared the original suggestion to vanilla.

"I picked that move because it was hard to pull off," Pavia said. "You never see that."

Unfortunately for Pavia, he happened to request his client's specialty in the gym – so much so that "Fancy Pants" himself calls it "The Beerbohm Choke."

"If Pavia would have said something else, I would have been in trouble," Beerbohm said. "But it was perfect for me."

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Hallman steamrolls Davis, "Fancy Pants" shocks "Bang" on Strikeforce prelims

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

KENT, Wash. - While "Superman" was briefly in the building on Friday night, it was a different set of "Fancy Pants" that dropped the biggest "Bang."

Veteran Dennis "Superman" Hallman (41-12-2) and fast-rising, undefeated prospect Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (10-0) each scored impressive first-round victories on the preliminary card of Friday's "Strikeforce: Villasenor vs. Cyborg" event at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.

The six-bout preliminary action preceded the evening's Showtime-broadcast main card.

Hallman wasted no time with Justin Davis (11-8), an 11th-hour replacement, during the final preliminary bout of the event. Hallman immediately took Davis to the ground and won via rear-naked choke at 20 seconds of the first round.

It was Hallman's second fight – and win – of 2009. The former UFC fighter did not fight in 2008 and only once in 2007. He owns two victories over Matt Hughes, a distinction he shares with Georges St. Pierre. The fight occurred at a catchweight of 200 pounds because Davis was added to the card Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Beerbohm remained unbeaten in the cage with easily his most impressive win to date, stopping Duane "Bang" Ludwig (18-9) with a schoolyard choke from the side at 4:27 of the first round. Beerbohm, known as "Fancy Pants" for his colorful shorts, was also 12-0 as an amateur.

Brian Caraway (11-3) dominated Alex Zuniga (2-2) from the opening bell, but he could not finish the fight. Caraway held top position for most of the first and second rounds and won the fight on his feet in the third.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Beerbohm Looks to Continue Unbeaten Run

By Press Release | June 12, 2009

Two years ago, Lyle Beerbohm was sitting in a prison cell, serving an 18 month sentence. A crystal meth addict, he had stolen from his loved ones and committed multiple felonies during a dreadful, downward spiral.

On June 19, the reborn 30-year-old native of Spokane, Washington will attempt to continue his miraculous and inspiring transformation into an undefeated athlete in the world's fastest growing sport – mixed martial arts (MMA).

"This is the biggest fight of my life," said Beerbohm (9-0), who will face his most difficult test to date in the cage when he squares off with seasoned knockout artist, Duane "Bang" Ludwig (18-8) in a lightweight (155 pound) matchup during the Strikeforce Challengers MMA event at Kent, Washington's brand new ShoWare Center on Friday, June 19. "Once I beat him, I'll be a superstar – where I need to be. I have full confidence that I will win this fight."

Beerbohm enjoyed a stint in high school wrestling and claims to have been unbeaten over the course of numerous street fights as well as three scuffles in Walla Walla state prison, but it was only after he tuned into The Ultimate Fighter, Spike TV's smash-hit MMA reality series, that he decided he would make combat his livelihood and his path to redemption.

"When I was sitting in prison and watching The Ultimate Fighter show," he said, "I was like 'Are you serious? Those guys are on TV, making money?' I knew I could take those guys so, right then and there, I made up my mind and haven't looked back since."

So determined was Beerbohm to get the ball rolling immediately after his release that he ordered his father to stop driving after they passed by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy on the ride home from prison. Beerbohm quickly introduced himself to the school owner and explained his intentions.

Just eight days after his first lesson, Beerbohm stepped in the cage where he won his first amateur bout. After amassing a 12-0 record under amateur status in only nine months, he decided the time was right to turn professional. He has since finished all but one of his nine victims.

"I traded one addiction for another," said Beerbohm, who has also earned the nickname "Fancy Pants" due to his flashy looking fight shorts that his mother designed for him. "I had put all my time and focus into that drug, unfortunately, so I needed something else to put my time and effort into and that's why I've done what I have so far in MMA."

Beerbohm no longer has a trainer – only training partners at the Spokane based Sik Jitsu club whom he claims have been the key to helping him learn on the job. He has visited a number of prominent training centers including submission expert Dennis Hallman's Seattle-based Victory Athletics and former Olympic wrestler Matt Lindland's Team Quest, but prefers doing things his own way.

"(The other camps) are pretty good, but we've got the best thing in Spokane," said Beerbohm. "When I was at other camps, I wasn't in charge. In Spokane, I'm in charge. The guys do what I want to do and that's the way I want it."

Beerbohm's next opponent boasts far more formal training than him. A native of Denver, Colorado Ludwig, also 30 years of age, immersed himself in the world of Muay Thai kickboxing as a teenager and has gone on to become a star in the sport of MMA. He also holds the record for the quickest knockout in UFC history (Ludwig stopped Jonathan Goulet in 11 seconds on January 16, 2006). That doesn't intimidate Beerbohm one bit, though.

"His stand up (skills) is pretty good, but my style is breaking people. The way I pace myself, people can't handle it," stated Beerbohm. "I'll break him by the third round. If he gets to the 3rd round, he's not going to get out of the third round."

"When you see me get in the cage with Ludwig, I will be a different fighter and a step above where I was from my last appearance. I'm a brand new fighter and can't wait to show the world."

Tickets for the Strikeforce Challengers event, priced from $32, are on sale at the ShoWare Center Box Office (253-856-6999 or 877-840-0457), online at ShoWareCenter.com, and at www.strikeforce.com.

The live SHOWTIME® telecast of the event will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (tape delayed on the west coast) and will include up to five bouts.

Middleweight (185 pound) powerhouses "Smokin" Joey Villasenor (26-6) and Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (16-12) will face off in the card's main event.

Decorated United States Army Ranger Tim Kennedy (9-2) will square off with seasoned veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson (38-10-1) in a middleweight contest.

Rising stars Cory "The One" Devela (9-2) and Luke Rockhold (4-1) will face off with each other in yet another middleweight battle.

Jorge Gurgel (12-5) will battle Conor "Hurricane" Heun (8-2) in a lightweight (155 pound) battle and welterweight (170 pound) submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman (40-12-2) will lock horns with Cedric Marks (26-18).

In women's action, undefeated power puncher Sarah Kaufman (9-0) will meet Shayna "The Queen of Spades" Baszler (11-5).

ShoWare Center doors will open for the Strikeforce Challengers event at 5:30 p.m. PT on June 19 and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. PT.

Strikeforce's affair at the Tacoma Dome on February 28, 2008 marked the largest live gate in the history of any boxing, MMA, or kickboxing event in Washington State.

Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. It provides today's top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

June 19 Beerbohm vs. Ludwig & Hallman vs. Marks

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

A welterweight match-up between Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm and Duane “Bang” Ludwig is set for the second installment of Strikeforce Challenger Series June 19 in Kent, Wash.

MMAWeekly’s blog, MMAInsider, initially reported that Ludwig was likely to fight Dennis Hallman at the Pacific Northwest event, but the fight did not come to fruition, according to sources close to the fight.

Hallman (40-12-2) will instead take on Cedric Marks (26-18) on the main card.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

Report: Beerbohm vs. Ludwig set to headline June 19 ShoMMA event

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

According to a report from FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Undefeated Lyle Beerbohm (9-0) and Duane "Bang" Ludwig (18-8) are "expected" to headline an unannounced June 19 "ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers" event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) spoke with multiple sources close to the bout in an attempt to confirm the report. Each said that the bout was "an idea" or "in the works," though none would deny it was a possibility.

A location for the potential bout has not been announced.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Lyle Beerbohm Featured on Carson's Corner

Click here to hear the show

MMA SUBMISSION: THE SAGA OF LYLE BEERBOHM

Click here to read the ESPN story "From meth addict to Strikeforce star? Incredible" by Ryan Hockensmith

Strikeforce Fight Card

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

Strikeforce, April 11, Main Card Bouts (Bout order not confirmed):

-Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz
-Josh Thomson vs. TBA
-Scott Smith vs. Benji Radach
-Jake Shields vs. Joe Riggs
-Gilbert Melendez vs. TBA
-Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. TBA

Mendez also released three undercard bouts for a show tentatively planned for May in Tacoma, Wash.:

-Mike Aina vs. Billy Evangelista
-Torrance Taylor vs. Lyle Beerbohm
-Bao Quach vs. JC Pennington

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

10 Questions With Lyle Beerbohm (2/4/2009)

Originally posted on the MMAspace.com

10 Questions With Lyle Beerbohm (by Darrick Patrick)

Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm is a professional mixed martial artist who has appeared in organizations such as ShoXC, King Of The Cage, Strikeforce, Xtreme Cage Combat, SportFight, Elite Warriors Championship, Conquest Of The Cage, and Ringside Ticket.

Darrick: How did you end up competing in professional mixed martial arts?

Lyle: I just love to fight, so it seemed like a good route for me to take.

Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to train in MMA?

Lyle: Give it a shot - it's fun even if you don't compete.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Lyle: My mom and dad had the biggest impact in my life.

Darrick: What does a normal training session for you consist of?

Lyle: A typical workout for me is mainly just lots of fighting.

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?

Click here to read the entire article at MMAspace.com.com

Fight Path: How MMA saved the troubled soul of Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Lyle Beerbohm had been in the back of his parents' car for 150 miles when the trio entered Spokane, Wash., in February 2007.

They had come from Walla Walla, Wash., where the elder Beerbohms collected their son from the Washington State Penitentiary, the 540-acre complex that had been Beerbohm's home for a year. It was a derailed path to drugs and other crimes that led the former high school wrestling star to the one-year stay, but a new path was about to begin.

The car turned onto Francis Avenue. Beerbohm looked out the window and spotted a sign for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Spokane, and he quickly asked his father to detour into the parking lot.

The stop began a two-year journey that has made Beerbohm one of the main up-and-coming lightweights in all of MMA. At 9-0 as a professional and 21-0 since his first amateur fight just a week after leaving prison, Beerbohm has proven to be a very quick learner, a tough man to keep down and one of the more passionate competitors onlookers can remember.

"In 23 months, you can't accomplish what I've done," Beerbohm said.

His success is even more impressive when studied through the lens of his past, which is littered with drug use and eight appearances in the Spokane County Superior Court records system.

Now the 29-year-old Spokane resident, nicknamed "Fancy Pants" for his unusual fighting shorts manufactured by his mother, is hoping to make the next step, to continue showing critics and unconvinced observers that his success isn't based on weak opponents or luck. It's based, he says, on talent, an unrelenting spirit and the ability to absorb punishment.

"I have more heart, I have a great chin, and I learn quick," Beerbohm said. "A fight is a fight, and I can win a fight. I've had plenty of them."

.........

Beerbohm has even considered going after a clothing line as a sponsor to make him a new pair of fancy pants with the sponsor's logo, because, as manager Ken Pavia says, Beerbohm is losing sponsorship opportunities by sticking with the homemade trunks.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Beerbohm Wins at ShoXC in Indiana

Originally posted on MMAonTap.com

Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (8-0), 161 ½, Spokane, Wash., TKO 1 (cuts), over Brazilian Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (5-1), Nashville, Tenn. After an exciting five minutes of non-stop action, the fight was stopped due to a severe cut over Oliveira’s left eye. Quote-worthy: “I don’t care who wins the fight between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. I will beat up either of them,’’ said Beerbohm, who was making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut in August 2007. … Said Oliveira: “I got caught, it happens to the best. This is very disappointing. It was the opportunity of my lifetime.’’

Click here to read the entire article at MMAonTap.com

Beerbohm added to Oct. 10 ShoXC

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com

midst an approaching barrage of three fight cards in the next four weeks, EliteXC is busy filling out the supporting cast for its Oct. 10 ShoXC event from Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.

In addition to a previously announced main event between Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (11-0) and Kerry Schall (21-10), EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw today confirmed several additional matchups to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Mark Miller (8-3) meets Anthony Lapsley (12-3), Mamed Khalidov (14-3-1) will meet Jason Guida (17-17) and undefeated Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (7-0) will meet an as-yet-undetermined opponent....

Beerbohm debuted professionally in August 2007, and has appeared for Strikeforce as well as SportFight. Only one of his seven career fights has gone to the judges.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com