UFC 49: Unfinished Business Preview
Ronald .Gun” Jhun vs. Chris .Lytle
Aug 20, 2004
Ronald Jhun “Machine Gun”
vs. Chris Lytle “Light’s
Out”
JUHN: Hawaiian fighter Ronald Jhun is the Co-Fight Manager and Head Assistant Trainer at the 808 Fight Factory in Waipahu Hawaii. The 808 Fight Factory Team includes Jhun, Kai Kamaka, Brennan Kamaka and many others. The “Machine Gun” brings a 32-11-2 record in MMA into his UFC debut. He has fought in the IFC, Superbrawl, Warriors Quest and Shooto. Over his 8-year fight career, Jhun has recorded wins over Eddy Millis, James Zikic, Joe Stevenson, Dave Strasser, Pete Spratt and Shannon Ritch.
Ronald had an impressive bout against UFC veteran Shonie Carter and controlled the
bout on route to winning the KOTC Welterweight Championship. He
lost the title four months later to UFC veteran John Alessio and suffered a
Superbrawl loss to Khalil Ghosen. Additional losses include bouts
with Eugene Jackson,
Yuki Sasaki, Eric Paulson,
James Zikic and Jermaine Andre and draws with
Shonie Carter and Dennis Hallman.
Jhun is 4-0 since the loss to “Tiki” Ghosen including back-to-back wins in BJ Penn’s Rumble on the Rock. His UFC debut is eagerly anticipated as Jhun has already faced more than half a dozen fighters who have been inside the octagon.
Chris fought in many local shows in the U.S. and made the transition to competing on the Japanese fight circuit where he fought are more frequently and the money was better. He’s been a regular on cards in Pancrase for the past 5 years. Lytle has faced many UFC fighters, beating CJ Fernandes, Aaron Riley and Laverne Clark and losing to Jason DeLucia, Dave Menne, Kei Yamamiya, Shonie Carter, Ben Earwood and Nick Diaz. He also drew with Ikuhisa Minowa and Dave Strasser. The three-time UFC veteran is 1-2 in the octagon. He performed well against Robbie Lawler in a loss at UFC 45 and defeated Khalil Ghosen at UFC 47. An impressive submission win over Pete Spratt was wedged in between UFC bouts and helped bring him back to the cage against Jhun on short notice.
MY PICK: Jhun. Using the same philosophy as the Diaz/Parisyan fight, this is a fight Lytle should win. Both fighters have tons of experience but Lytle has fought the better competition as of late. That being said, Jhun’s debut has been a long time coming and he is determined to make the same splash fellow islanders like BJ Penn, Renato Verissimo, Falaniko Vitale and Wesley Correira have made over the past few years. Mike Kyle “The Stalker” vs. Justin Eilers
KYLE: Former East Oregon University defensive end and fullback Mike Kyle has an 11-2 record in MMA and began training with the Primal Tribe in Boise Idaho. After his KOTC 18: Sudden Impact bout with Paul Buentello, he was courted by the American Kickboxing Academy camp and made the move to California. There he trains with UFC veterans Josh Thomson, Tim Lajcik and Bob Cook and boxing trainer Javier Mendez.
Mike has beaten Jerry Vrbanovic and Kauai Kupihea and holds a controversial win over Hammer House wrestler Wes Sims in Kyle’s UFC debut. The bout with Sims officially ended with strikes but Kyle’s teeth prints could be seen in Sims’ chest ala the Gilbert Yvel/Karim Barkalaev bout from years ago. Kyle was given the victory and shrugged it off as just “taking it to a bad guy” but it didn’t change the fact he tried to “pull a Tyson” on someone.
Kyle’s two professional losses both took place in the King of the Cage event. He battled UFC veteran Dan Bobish at KOTC 13 in yet another controversial bout (this time it was Kyle who may have robbed of a stoppage) and was KO’d by a man making his octagon debut at UFC 50, Paul Buentello.
EILERS: Iowa State middle linebacker Justin Eilers is 9-3-1 record in MMA and trains at Miletich Fighting Systems with Tim Sylvia, Jeremy Horn, Matt Hughes, Pat Miletich and the rest of the Miletich team. An NFL hopeful, Eilers missed the combines, went un-drafted and wound up calling on old friend Jens Pulver. His first professional bout was a decision loss to UFC triple-crown winner Dan Severn. He went on to battle and beat Jonathan Ivey in the Iowa Challenge, Rocky Batastini in the IFC and Vince Lucero in Superbrawl.
In his other professional loss, Eilers battled Wesley Correira at Superbrawl 30 and came up short in a split decision that favored the hometown boy. Justin is coming off an impressive performance at the inaugural Euphoria MFC show last March. His opponent, powerful Russian striker Mikhail Bogdanov, tossed Eilers through the ropes and on top of some of the event staff but Justin came back and punished him. Bogdanov ate some fists and knees to the body until the end of the round. The damage done by Eilers coupled with an injury to his right knee forced Bogdanov to pull out after the first round.
MY PICK: Eilers. The funny thing is that these two are friends and grew up together. They’re not excited about fighting each other but both realize this is business and they have to shelve the friendship so both can make their UFC debuts. Kyle looked great against Bobish two years ago and though he has been winning consistently, he hasn’t had a big fight since the loss to Buentello. The bout with Sims was nothing to write home about either. As for Eilers, the Superbrawl bout with “Cabbage” Correira was his last loss and he has beaten four of his five opponents with strikes since then. Justin looks to have the head of steam going in and he has the Miletich super-camp comprised of all UFC veterans to prepare him. Eilers by KO in round 1.
JUHN: Hawaiian fighter Ronald Jhun is the Co-Fight Manager and Head Assistant Trainer at the 808 Fight Factory in Waipahu Hawaii. The 808 Fight Factory Team includes Jhun, Kai Kamaka, Brennan Kamaka and many others. The “Machine Gun” brings a 32-11-2 record in MMA into his UFC debut. He has fought in the IFC, Superbrawl, Warriors Quest and Shooto. Over his 8-year fight career, Jhun has recorded wins over Eddy Millis, James Zikic, Joe Stevenson, Dave Strasser, Pete Spratt and Shannon Ritch.
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Jhun is 4-0 since the loss to “Tiki” Ghosen including back-to-back wins in BJ Penn’s Rumble on the Rock. His UFC debut is eagerly anticipated as Jhun has already faced more than half a dozen fighters who have been inside the octagon.
LYTLE: Tang Soo Do stylist and jiu-jitsu practitioner Chris Lytle is 27-10-5 in MMA and a
10-1-1 professional boxing record. He is an Indiana State Boxing
Champion, an Indiana State Tang Soo Do champion and a P.W. I. Full
Contact Champion. Additionally he is the current Absolute Fighting
Championship Welterweight Champion title and HOOK’n’SHOOT
Middleweight Champion. He trains with Jeremy Bolt, Alex Steibling and
Jason Godsey of the
Integrated Fighting camp and with Marcello Montera representing
Ring Sports/Palmers Gym.
Chris fought in many local shows in the U.S. and made the transition to competing on the Japanese fight circuit where he fought are more frequently and the money was better. He’s been a regular on cards in Pancrase for the past 5 years. Lytle has faced many UFC fighters, beating CJ Fernandes, Aaron Riley and Laverne Clark and losing to Jason DeLucia, Dave Menne, Kei Yamamiya, Shonie Carter, Ben Earwood and Nick Diaz. He also drew with Ikuhisa Minowa and Dave Strasser. The three-time UFC veteran is 1-2 in the octagon. He performed well against Robbie Lawler in a loss at UFC 45 and defeated Khalil Ghosen at UFC 47. An impressive submission win over Pete Spratt was wedged in between UFC bouts and helped bring him back to the cage against Jhun on short notice.
MY PICK: Jhun. Using the same philosophy as the Diaz/Parisyan fight, this is a fight Lytle should win. Both fighters have tons of experience but Lytle has fought the better competition as of late. That being said, Jhun’s debut has been a long time coming and he is determined to make the same splash fellow islanders like BJ Penn, Renato Verissimo, Falaniko Vitale and Wesley Correira have made over the past few years. Mike Kyle “The Stalker” vs. Justin Eilers
KYLE: Former East Oregon University defensive end and fullback Mike Kyle has an 11-2 record in MMA and began training with the Primal Tribe in Boise Idaho. After his KOTC 18: Sudden Impact bout with Paul Buentello, he was courted by the American Kickboxing Academy camp and made the move to California. There he trains with UFC veterans Josh Thomson, Tim Lajcik and Bob Cook and boxing trainer Javier Mendez.
Mike has beaten Jerry Vrbanovic and Kauai Kupihea and holds a controversial win over Hammer House wrestler Wes Sims in Kyle’s UFC debut. The bout with Sims officially ended with strikes but Kyle’s teeth prints could be seen in Sims’ chest ala the Gilbert Yvel/Karim Barkalaev bout from years ago. Kyle was given the victory and shrugged it off as just “taking it to a bad guy” but it didn’t change the fact he tried to “pull a Tyson” on someone.
Kyle’s two professional losses both took place in the King of the Cage event. He battled UFC veteran Dan Bobish at KOTC 13 in yet another controversial bout (this time it was Kyle who may have robbed of a stoppage) and was KO’d by a man making his octagon debut at UFC 50, Paul Buentello.
EILERS: Iowa State middle linebacker Justin Eilers is 9-3-1 record in MMA and trains at Miletich Fighting Systems with Tim Sylvia, Jeremy Horn, Matt Hughes, Pat Miletich and the rest of the Miletich team. An NFL hopeful, Eilers missed the combines, went un-drafted and wound up calling on old friend Jens Pulver. His first professional bout was a decision loss to UFC triple-crown winner Dan Severn. He went on to battle and beat Jonathan Ivey in the Iowa Challenge, Rocky Batastini in the IFC and Vince Lucero in Superbrawl.
In his other professional loss, Eilers battled Wesley Correira at Superbrawl 30 and came up short in a split decision that favored the hometown boy. Justin is coming off an impressive performance at the inaugural Euphoria MFC show last March. His opponent, powerful Russian striker Mikhail Bogdanov, tossed Eilers through the ropes and on top of some of the event staff but Justin came back and punished him. Bogdanov ate some fists and knees to the body until the end of the round. The damage done by Eilers coupled with an injury to his right knee forced Bogdanov to pull out after the first round.
MY PICK: Eilers. The funny thing is that these two are friends and grew up together. They’re not excited about fighting each other but both realize this is business and they have to shelve the friendship so both can make their UFC debuts. Kyle looked great against Bobish two years ago and though he has been winning consistently, he hasn’t had a big fight since the loss to Buentello. The bout with Sims was nothing to write home about either. As for Eilers, the Superbrawl bout with “Cabbage” Correira was his last loss and he has beaten four of his five opponents with strikes since then. Justin looks to have the head of steam going in and he has the Miletich super-camp comprised of all UFC veterans to prepare him. Eilers by KO in round 1.
