Chirs Leben had struggled cutting weight to prepare for his opponent, Mark Munoz, at UFC 138.
FightersOnly.co.uk has now revealed that Leben cut nearly 21 pounds in 24 hours prior to his bout against Munoz. Sources close to the 31-year-old said he was closely watched by medical staff just prior to the weigh-ins.
The website reports that Leben spent Friday morning in the hotel sauna and he wore layers of clothing as he sweat water out of his body. The weight cut became so difficult that Leben’s general condition came into question and he was almost forced to withdraw from the bout.
However, Leben proceeded to fight against Munoz but he was visibly tired after the first round. Leben began the second round looking much more sluggish and fatigued; he then was taken down repeatedly by his opponent. Munoz cut Leben above his right eye which prompted the referee to request a doctor’s inspection, but Leben continued and finished the round.
Leben was exhausted after the end of the round, which forced his cornermen to end the bout as they didn’t feel he was in any physical condition to continue.
The loss now puts Leben’s UFC record at 12-7 and 22-8 overall.
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