The original bad boy of The Ultimate Fighter, Chris “The Crippler” Leben is nearly finished with a one-year suspension stemming from a failed drug test at UFC 138.Leben last fought in November, where he lost to Mark Munoz in the main event. The stoppag…
The original bad boy of The Ultimate Fighter, Chris “The Crippler” Leben is nearly finished with a one-year suspension stemming from a failed drug test at UFC 138.
Leben last fought in November, where he lost to Mark Munoz in the main event. The stoppage came after the second round when a cut over Leben’s eye left him unable to see.
Upon his return, Leben will look to get back to his winning ways, as The Crippler won four of his last five fights heading into the contest.
Here is a look at five potential opponents for Chris Leben upon his return.
Dana White is a polarizing figure. Some love him, some hate him, and those in the MMA blogosphere that have never even met him, take every opportunity they have to crucify his every move.I read the blogs daily and always read the comments section…
Dana White is a polarizing figure. Some love him, some hate him, and those in the MMA blogosphere that have never even met him, take every opportunity they have to crucify his every move.
I read the blogs daily and always read the comments sections where keyboard warriors can tell you an event sucks before it takes place, why B.J. Penn has no motivation, or how Cain Velasquez could have beaten Junior Dos Santos. The scenarios are endless and the accountability is non-existent.
When a UFC story breaks about a separation or contract talk breakdown, the answer is always the same. “It is Dana White’s fault,” they say, not caring that they know nothing of the details or facts (see: Fedor contract negotiations, Brittany Palmer leaving UFC, and Golden Glory fighters released).
As a lifelong New York Yankees fan, Dana’s “character” reminds me very much of George Steinbrenner (though others might say WWE star Vince McMahon). He takes care of business and makes no apologies for his style, his opinion, or his success.
I am convinced that even if he were to find a cure for cancer, the comments sections would still be overflowing with reasons to hate him.
Although I realize this opinion will not win me any fans, I feel it is time to defend Dana White on a few topics.
Chris Leben is an interesting sort.One minute, he’s a loose cannon inside a house full of aspiring middleweights and light heavyweights, the next minute he’s putting on classic slug fests and displays of BJJ brilliance inside the cage, and then the nex…
One minute, he’s a loose cannon inside a house full of aspiring middleweights and light heavyweights, the next minute he’s putting on classic slug fests and displays of BJJ brilliance inside the cage, and then the next…
Well, that’s where things get tricky, and that’s where some people argue about how likable Leben is.
MMA Fighting reports that “The Crippler” has tested positive for prescription painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone, as per the results of a post-UFC 138 drug test, and will be out for the next year.
He’s not released from the company, much to the relief of his supporters, but Leben will be sidelined for the next year and this breaking news will obviously have some people choosing sides.
Is Leben to be remembered as the man who brought it every time he stepped in the cage, or will fans only remember him as the guy that pissed hot in two trips to Birmingham?
Stanozolol was the steroid that took nine months and a third of Leben’s purse the last time he tested positive and this time, Leben did look worse than some remember him looking in almost any other fight.
Were the painkillers to blame?
It’s hard to say, but while there’s no two ways around the issue, the hope should be that Leben seeks whatever help he needs and excavates whatever demons are still pressuring him right now.
Leben is one of the most polarizing images of the “warrior spirit” in MMA, and the worst things Leben should have to worry about are pugilistic dementia and the prospect of having his name in the same sentence as “a fight that sucked.”
Not even his two rounds with Mark Munoz were dull, even if some thought Leben did not look as great physically as he had looked in past fights.
Yes, Leben is a fighter, and yes, he puts the show before the win despite taking his licks in the process, but this is the second occasion in which he’s been sidelined for a failed drug test.
Leben does have a bit more sorting out to do in his personal life, but his fans will allow Leben the full year to figure it all out at last.
If he does that, it may not be long before the old Chris Leben is back in business, and when that day comes, perhaps we may once more speculate whether Leben is ready to support the 12-pounds of gold and represent the Ultimate Fighting Championship as its undisputed Middleweight Champion of The World.
Until then, Mr. Leben, cheers for a memorable 2011, and here’s hoping we see you back in the cage by November 2012.
Oh, and by the way, MMA World, is the weight cut an excuse now?
Filed under: UFCMiddleweight Chris Leben has been suspended by the UFC for one year after testing positive for prescription painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone following his loss at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England, the organization announced via its w…
Middleweight Chris Leben has been suspended by the UFC for one year after testing positive for prescription painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone following his loss at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England, the organization announced via its website on Monday.
“I like Chris and I want him to do well, but based on his actions, he’s been suspended for one year,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement on UFC.com. “If he needs professional help, we are going to be there for him. We want to see him succeed not only in the Octagon, but in his personal life.”
This marks the second time that Leben, who lost by corner stoppage after fellow middleweight Mark Munoz opened a large cut over his left eye in their November 5 bout, has tested positive for banned substances via the UFC’s independent drug-testing efforts.
Leben previously tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol following his UFC 89 bout against Michael Bisping, which was also in Birmingham, England. For that offense, Leben was suspended nine months by the UFC and fined one-third of his fight purse.
Since UFC events are not subject to any athletic commission-sanctioned testing in England, the UFC conducts its own tests for fights on British soil and hands out punishments for positive tests at its own discretion.
In the official statement released by the UFC, Leben is quoted as saying: “I would like to make it known that I fully accept this suspension and apologize for embarrassing the UFC, my friends and family, and sport of mixed martial arts. I’m learning that I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. I can’t succeed in the Octagon or in life behaving this way. I’ve got to make some real changes over the next year and I’m going to focus on getting my life and career back on track. Again, I’m sorry to the UFC and fans that’ve supported me since my days on The Ultimate Fighter.”
According to the UFC, the 19 other fighters on the UFC 138 card passed their post-fight drug tests.
(“… and I paid a three-year old $14 million for this work of art.”)
In this edition of Dana’s video blog, we take a behind the scenes look at the inaugural UFC on Fox show.
Man, it must get old for Dana to meet fans every day who beg him for free tickets. Seriously, do people have no couth? And what’s up with the fan that suggests Cain looks like Shrek and should call himself “The Shrexican?” What’s wrong with people?
Check out the vid after the jump.
(“… and I paid a three-year old $14 million for this work of art.”)
In this edition of Dana’s video blog, we take a behind the scenes look at the inaugural UFC on Fox show.
Man, it must get old for Dana to meet fans every day who beg him for free tickets. Seriously, do people have no couth? And what’s up with the fan that suggests Cain looks like Shrek and should call himself “The Shrexican?” What’s wrong with people?
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)
It’s crazy that a promotion that was on the brink of bankruptcy six years ago is now so popular that a cancer patient’s dying “Make a Wish” request is to meet its president. How many requests do you think David Stern or Roger Goodell get? That says something about how accessible he is to the fans.
How hilarious is Bruce Buffer pushing his “The Ring” video on anyone who will listen? We get the feeling he might have some other videos and photos on his phone that he *casually* shows people. Knowamsayin’ ?
Perhaps the most interesting moment comes after the Velasquez-dos Santos fight when Cain’s boxing coach gives him shit for waiting for dos Santos to attack rather than going after him offensively. The dude doesn’t mince words and Cain takes full responsibility for the error in the post-fight presser.
Another Saturday afternoon is upon us, which means it’s time for another edition of Ask the Potato. After last week graced us with the presence of a few minor celebrities, we knew what we had to do now that minor celebrities care about what we write. But until Coolio stops ducking us, we’ll just stick to answering your questions. So let’s get started, shall we?
intercept440 Says: what is the best remedy for lower back pain? So far the only thing that seems to work is copious amounts of booze. Come on potato, surely with your vast amounts of knowledge you can help a nation member out.
Another Saturday afternoon is upon us, which means it’s time for another edition of Ask the Potato. After last week graced us with the presence of a few minor celebrities, we knew what we had to do now that minor celebrities care about what we write. But until Coolio stops ducking us, we’ll just stick to answering your questions. So let’s get started, shall we?
intercept440 Says: what is the best remedy for lower back pain? So far the only thing that seems to work is copious amounts of booze. Come on potato, surely with your vast amounts of knowledge you can help a nation member out.
You’ve been good to us over the years, intercept440, so we’re going to do you a solid. Email us your address and we’ll send the Cage Potato office chiropractor right over. Trust us when we tell you that he’s the best in the business. In fact, Leonard Garcia swears by him.
Liverpunch Says: 1- What do you think is a probable timetable for the demise of women’s MMA. I like the fights, but I just don’t see them gaining any traction with the public. 2- Where do you see MMA a year from now? Is CP still around in this hellish futurescape?
1) We don’t think women’s MMA is going anywhere, Liverpunch. By that we mean it won’t die out, but we also sadly mean that it’s not going anywhere. Once Strikeforce folds, another organization will become the home of WMMA. Bellator has stated that they’d proudly carry the torch, while smaller promotions like Black Eye have already started scooping up talent. Unfortunately, the UFC is where the fame and money’s at, and without those lures it will be difficult to convince more women to train full time and invest themselves in the sport.
2) As long as things continue to go smoothly tonight, we think the sport’s only going to improve. But if some unforeseen disaster strikes and the sport spirals out of control into some post-apocalyptic hellhole, we’ll be right there playing the role of “Mr. Dealgood”.
XENOPHON Says: At that time I will ask, “How does one get an invite to tour the Cage Potato offices in mid-Wilshire?”
KarmaAteMyCat Says: What is the difference between quitting and not being able to continue an intelligent fight whilst defending one’s self specifically when commentators admit the fight should be stopped?
Normally, we’d tell you to ask the doctors who sit at cage side and the referees overlooking the fight to help you. After all, they are there because they have the training and competence to be able to tell the difference between a fighter who is simply disinterested in fighting and a fighter who is physically unable to continue. But if UFC 138 was any indication, sometimes their judgment isn’t much better than ours.
We know UFC 138 wasn’t the first time a fighter who should not have been allowed to continue to fight was asked by officials if he wanted to continue, said yes and then was allowed to continue. But it still confuses us every time we see it happen. If you’re going to pause the fight because you believe that it is dangerous for a person to continue taking damage, perhaps you should do more than just ask if the professional fighter whose job depends on his or her ability to keep fighting wants to keep fighting.
1Jackal Says: Since Cain Velasquez is the UFC champ and is making a bunch of money then why is his father still doing physical labor by working in the fields? Please explain.
Back up, 1Jackal. Champions making a bunch of money? We don’t know what crazy, ass-backwards universe you live in, but since Nick Diaz doesn’t live there, we don’t ever want to visit it.
Middleweight 
