They call him “Fancy Pants,” but don’t let the funny nickname fool you. Inside the cage, Lyle Beerbohm is anything but fancy, pretty or even stylish.
Instead his style is awkward, unconventional and unpredictable. And he’s devastating.
“Fancy Pants” will face the toughest battle of his career on April 9 when he challenges Japanese submission specialist Shinya Aoki, at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
“My submission defense is world class and his submission offense is world class,” Beerbohm said. “It is just going to be one of those fights, where I am going to go out there and do what do I do and he will do what he does and we will see what happens.”
Beerbohm has built an impressive 15-1 record in mixed martial arts. His only defeat came in his last start in February, when he lost a close decision to Pat Healy. Known for his impressive sprawl and defensive tactics, Beerbohm said he learned a lot in the loss.
“I am just a teenager in this business,” he said. “I learned more and more every day.”
Among the biggest lessons he learned was that he needs to plan the day of his fight better. He answered his phone when it rang and never focused on himself.
“I didn’t feed my body during the day,” Beerbohm said. “I felt like crap going into the fight.”
He will have to be at the top of his game to get past the clever Aoki.
He’s studied the tapes of Gilbert Melendez’ unanimous 5-round decision victory over Aoki a year ago. Melendez stuffed Aoki takedown and submission attempts, and Beerbohm hopes to do the same.
But he admits that won’t be easy.
“I don’t know if I can do that style,” Beerbohm said. “I don’t know if my sprawl and brawl is as good.”
To be successful, Beerbohm said he needs to stay busy, throw punches and always be moving. He must avoid Aoki’s grip.
“He’s a weird Jiu-Jitsu guy,” Beerbohm said. “He’s tall and lanky.”
Aoki is 5 foot 11 inches tall. That’s a giant for a lightweight.
Beerbohm’s no half-pint. He’s 5 foot 10 inches tall. But Beerbohm is used to fighting guys shorter than him.
He said there’s very little similarity between Aoki and another Jiu-Jitsu specialist, Vitor Ribeiro, whom Beerbohm beat by decision last year.
“Aoki’s really flexible,” Beerbohm said. “It’s really hard to find someone who trains like him.”
Since his debut in 2007, the 32-year-old Beerbohm has displayed a balanced range of abilities in his 16 pro career wins. He’s won 7 fights by knockout and 7 by submission. Two more came by way of decision.
Beerbohm believes he will be an even better fighter since his first loss in February. It’s no shame to lose in MMA, he said, and in some ways he’s glad he won’t have to worry about staying undefeated anymore. Besides, he said, his loss wasn’t really “a loss.”
“Everybody loses fights,” Beerbohm said. “I don’t feel like he beat me. I want someone to put me out, or submit or knock me out.”
That could happen against Aoki, a dangerous fighter, with a vicious mean streak.
Aoki has 26 wins, and 16 submissions. He’s known for his ability to snap on a submission hold out of nowhere – and show no mercy when he gets a hold of you.
Like a spider waiting to catch a fly, Aoki waits for his prey and then it’s often lights out.
Aoki broke Japanese superstar Mizuto Hirota’s arm in a fight because Hirota refused to tap out.
Beerbohm won’t be able to relax against the quicker and more technically skilled Aoki. He plans to stay busy, focus on his standup – and avoid the takedown.
“You got to fight Aoki really, really smart,” Beerbohm said. “My submission defense will be really key. I am going to punch him in the face.”
Like fellow STRIKEFORCE lightweight star KJ Noons, Beerbohm isn’t one of those fighters who sticks to a strict training schedule. He trains when his body feels good and relaxes when it doesn’t.
Going into the Aoki fight, Beerbohm’s ready, but careful not to over-train. He wants to avoid peaking too early and being tired on fight day.
“I train as much as my body will let me,” Beerbohm said. “I don’t have a set schedule. I don’t have coaches. I run my own practices. I have to call my training practices. If I feel good then I go ahead and call my guys.”
In San Diego on April 9, he knows he will have the crowd on his side. Every time Beerbohm steps inside the cage, he brings with him a potential added weapon to his arsenal.
At the least, it’s a distraction.
He earned the name “Fancy Pants” because of the colorful fight shorts that he wears. His mother makes every pair.
It started after Beerbohm served a short stint in jail while battling a methamphetamine addiction.
A week after he was released, Beerbohm had his first amateur fight. He asked his mom, a master sewer, to make his shorts.
“It was an instant hit,” Beerbohm said.
A few fights later, one of his buddies and teammates gave Beerbohm his moniker.
So Fancy Pants will look to pull off an upset against Aoki. If he wins, Beerbohm could be in line for a title shot later in the year.
Obviously STRIKEFORCE is putting me in a great position and in a great fight. I just want to thank STRIKEFORCE for giving me the opportunity. “
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