Mike’s almost 2 decade career in MMA ended last Saturday with the retirement after the loss against Zak Ottow. Whenever his name was mentioned everyone knew there was going to be a match worth seeing or worth fighting.

Since he debuted in 2009 against Brock Larson, he has always been part of the ring becoming also a fan favorite. His biggest win was that at UFC 120 in 2010, when he beat John Hathaway in London with a dominant three-round decision.

“Whether I like it or not, which I do, there are gonna be younger, stronger, faster guys coming in with more talent. That’s all there is to it, and why not pit yourself against them and just keep going until you just can’t anymore? It’s all good fun and I’m a fighter – whether you’re younger or older, I’m gonna fight you anyway and put myself to the test.”

Pyle was a true fighter. It was hard to deal with him. If you paid too much attention to keeping off the ground, most probably you would get knocked out. If you came too close he could get you.

“The guy I was supposed to fight – that was actually in my weight class – got hurt at a jiu-jitsu tournament,” recalled Pyle before the Hathaway fight. “So they called me and asked me if I was down to fight Rampage. I was like ‘yeah, let’s do it.’”

“In my head, I’m not thinking ‘how can I jump up and down and look all crazy to this guy and maybe intimidate him,’” he said. “If that’s on your mind, then you’re probably not straight on what you need to, which is staying focused. That guy is just as nervous as you are, and if they say they’re not, they’re lying. So you just try to keep that all in and save that energy for fighting. I don’t like jumping up and down and trying to give him dirty looks and all that. For me, it’s just a waste of time. Let the fighting do the talking.”