Close, but no cigar.

Retired Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight warrior Chris Lytle lost his bid to win the Republican State Senate nomination in Indiana on Tuesday (May 8, 2012), despite a strong showing that left him in second place.

From the Indy Star:

In Indiana Senate races, three Republicans competed in the primary for the District 28 seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Beverly Gard. With all precincts counted, Mike Crider, Greenfield, had 41 percent of the vote; Chris Lytle, New Palestine, had 30 percent; and John Merlau, Fountaintown, had 29 percent. Democrat Michael L. Adkins was unopposed in his party's primary for the seat.

Lytle has spent his life as a renaissance man of sorts. In addition to his career as a professional mixed martial artist, he's served (and continues to serve) as a full-time firefighter. He's also competed as a professional boxer and is the father of four children.

"Lights Out" retired from the UFC after choking out Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5 last August and promptly announced his political aspirations shortly thereafter.

Round two in 2016?