UFC 127 – Chris Lytle vs. Brian Ebersole Prediction

CHRIS LYTLE vs. BRIAN EBERSOLE

Fight Overview:  Brian Ebersole makes a long-sought UFC debut against Chris Lytle in a fight matching up two of the most experienced guys on the UFC roster.  With over 100 fights between them, these guys know how to fight and should go at each other hard.

Ebersole’s Strengths:  Ebersole is very well-rounded, with good boxing, good submissions, decent wrestling, and obviously a ton of experience.

Ebersole’s Weaknesses:  He has not fought the same kind of competition Lytle has and his submission defense is porous, something Lytle is perfectly positioned to exploit.

Lytle’s Strengths:  Lytle is ridiculously tough, has a great chin, good power punching, and some of the best submissions in the sport.

Lytle’s Weaknesses:  He has a very short reach which can cause problems in the boxing, and probably will never single-punch knock out anyone.

The Verdict:  I think Lytle is too good for Ebersole to handle.  He’s arguably a better boxer, he is definitely better on the ground, he has a better chin, and he has fought much better opponents over the last 5 plus years.  Most importantly, Ebersole’s submission defense is not historically very good, and Lytle is a virtuoso at submitting his opponents.  Lytle by submission.