Chris Leben

[habbalah]

I read what had to be the best post at sherdog after the show that just made me smirk, and i wanted to share it.

Originally Posted by Ender
Yeah, I didn't really look around much, just checked the first page and this was the only thread I saw about Leben at the time. It hadn't yet devolved to the state it's at now, so I was surprised at the absence of hating. I should have known better. Leben was definitely gonna get KTFO by Patrick Cote, he had no business being in there with Cote and was totally outclassed, the day before the fight. Right after the fight Cote was overrated and never really that good to begin with, although the decision was BS and obvious favoritism toward Chris. Leben was for sure gonna get submitted by Dewees, who's a whiz on the ground and would have Chris tapping before the end of the first round, the day before the fight. Right after the fight, who the [censored] is Dewees? he's a nobody, a D-list fighter at best, beating him means nothing. Leben was certainly gonna get either KO'd or TKO'd by Jorge Rivera, who has one of the most dangerous clinches in the division and beat #1 contender Loiseau, and was gonna outstrike Chris, the day before the fight. Right after the fight, he beat Rivera, big deal. Doesn't mean anything, Jorge wasn't really a force in the division anyway, and besides that it was a questionable stoppage. You clowns are so predictable.

David Terrell is definitely gonna kick Leben's butt. Unless of course he doesn't, in which case Terrell hasn't had enough Octagon experience and was really overrated to begin with (which he actually is, but no one will be saying that before the fight, only after). If he fights Evan Tanner, there's no way Leben stands a chance against him. Unless of course he does, in which case Tanner's washed up and over the hill and (you guessed it) wasn't really all that good to begin with. Mike Swick is gonna knock him out, until he doesn't and then Swick's just another overblown TUF guy anyway. There's no way Leben can beat Rich Franklin, until....well, until nothing. There's no way Leben can beat Rich Franklin. But that's pretty much the only guy in the division I'll give Chris almost no chance against. You guys really need to stop hating, look at his record, and give respect where it's due. How can a group of people who embrace guys like Joe Riggs and Tito Ortiz hate Leben so much, based mostly on his attitude? There are far worse attitudes out there, with far less to back them up. Riggs is a prime example. Look at his record and who he's beat versus his big-ass mouth and how good he thinks he is. He's much worse than Leben. And yet the day before UFC 56, Riggs was gonna be one of the toughest guys Matt Hughes had ever faced, and definitely had a genuine chance at winning (funny how no one remembers saying this now, but people were then). Leben beats three good fighters who he was the underdog against, and he's still an overblown joke of a TUF marketing ploy. Whatever. Haters.

You know... I'll admit.. at one time I thought this kid was less than nothing (Leben).

But hay it's nice to be wrong sometimes.

[Mad Dog]

I've learned that there's maybe 5 people on Sherdog that actually have a clue what they're talking about. I read it more for the comedy purposes than anything else.

[habbalah]

Hay, we're all a hand full of fights away from all looking like fools. I remember shaking my head on how a hand full of people thought Diego would beat Diaz. Some fighters when put to the test really blow away what you may have ever expected to see out of them. I think when the ultimate fighter started (and I'll admit it) I thought at best.... we might get someone who was really strong.. maybe a little striking.. and a little wrestling. There's some real talent that comes of that show... not just a hand ful of hopeless cans waiting to be picked off by real fighters.

[Darth Turkish]

maddog1981 said:

I've learned that there's maybe 5 people on Sherdog that actually have a clue what they're talking about. I read it more for the comedy purposes than anything else.

See Habs, I am not the only one! (thanks Maddog!)


It is not so much the wrong predictions, but the incessant bandwagon jumping and complete denial some (most) of those posters have. Example: I am rather sick of seeing people on the GSP bandwagon, and how "Hughes will be destroyed once they fight". Those posters either do not know the relative short history of the two, nor did they see the absolute textbook armbar applied by Hughes for the win. I am not saying Hughes is always going to win- GSP is doing really great and yes could easily beat Hughes for the belt. This is just an example fot eh trite posts that are sometimes there.

A lot of guys like to sound off even if they have no clue what they are talking about- and they end up looking silly for it.

As for TUF, we sure are going to find some talented kids. I dislike Diego, but he has some talent. Others, like Leben, Koshchek, Burkman, Stevenson, Cuomo and a few others, have some room for growth. The one down side is that TUF creates unreal public specualtion. How many "Diego Should Fight for the Belt" threads have you seen at Sherdog? I have seen too many, to be sure. Diego has talent, but would get mauled by GSP or Hughes. It would be really sorry. Look at the Quarry/ Franklin fight for the nearest and easiest example of this: Quarry was no way ready, experience wise, for that fight, and they just fed Franklin a meatball. Perhaps Quarry got some good experience (Do not get hit in the chin?!), but I would have rather seen him rack up a few good wins against quality opponents first.

[Mad Dog]

My annoyance with Sherdog towards the TUF guys is that very few of them seem to realize these guys would be there right now. They just decided to use a reality show to introduce them with.

The hate for Dana White there is insane too. The guy has done more for MMA in the U.S. than any one person has. Give the man a freaking break already.

Sherdog is a bunch of armchair generals thinking they know more than they do. Wrong predictions aren't a big deal. I make wrong guesses all the time for the NFL but I own up to them. The people over there seem to completely shift their opinions with every event in MMA so they can still sound smart.

[Big Bri]

Dumb question from a casual MMA fan: Has Diego lost yet? I believe he was undefeated when I watched him on an "Ultimate Fight Night" on Spike a couple months ago.

I can't stand Leben. He was an a$$hole on TUF and I hope someone beats him to death. I don't care if he's talented or not. He acted like a 12-year old on the show. I don't mean to sound like the Sherdog guys you are ripping on (I've never been on there, nor have any clue as to what it is. I assume it's a MMA discussion board from what you've said) but that's just the way I feel about it.

[Mad Dog]

He's 14-0 career.

[Big Bri]

maddog1981 said:

He's 14-0 career.

Thanks MadDog1981!

[ryanm2k4]

I never got the whole questionable stoppage part on the Rivera fight. If the ref hadn't stepped in, then Rivera was just going to get messed up badly from Leben punching him on the ground.

He's 14-1. He lost a decision to Joe Doerksen at a Canadian MMA show. It was a good fight. I wish I still had it on my computer before the crash as I would upload it here. Too bad fans judge Leben more from his actions on a reality show, and not his fighting ability. The dude was good enough to deserve a shot at the UFC before TUF.

[habbalah]

bigbri said:

Dumb question from a casual MMA fan: Has Diego lost yet? I believe he was undefeated when I watched him on an "Ultimate Fight Night" on Spike a couple months ago.

I can't stand Leben. He was an a$$hole on TUF and I hope someone beats him to death. I don't care if he's talented or not. He acted like a 12-year old on the show. I don't mean to sound like the Sherdog guys you are ripping on (I've never been on there, nor have any clue as to what it is. I assume it's a MMA discussion board from what you've said) but that's just the way I feel about it.

Yes Chris leben acted like a 12 year old. Yes he was embersing to watch at times. And yes you have the full right to hate him. I use to hate him because well I thought he was a nobody. Hell even After Randy seemed to want to put him over I still hated him.. and I started to see there was more to him than just being a jagg.

Lots of fighters act like dicks (Hi Matt H.) that doens't mean I can't enjoy watching them fight. To be honest with you I use to not like Diego... that whole "I'm going to be your nightmare!" qoute before his first fight.. kinda made him sound like a fruit cake. And low and behold.... he turned into a real fighter.

As for Deigo getting the title shot, why rush it? I think anything can be sold properly if given enough time. I really felt the the Rock Q fight was a huge bad idea.. but didn't everyone? Not many people at sherdog plug for Diego title fight.. Diego fans generally spend the day arguing if he's top 5 or not.

I'll put down my thoughts.. he beat someone who was top five quality in Nick Diaz. I'll leave it at that (Diego could turn to lead his next real fight.. or fall apart.. who's to say).
The only thing that ever bugged me about Sherdog is the over whelming mass seems to praise Pride as the be all end all.

Now, I like Pride. I loved Shock wave, but it's not my favorite show. I have my personal favorite fighter in the ufc, and that's just how it is. To me it's the better show. If you asked me which is show is more put together with better talent,,, I might give Pride a wink and a nodd but I mean if you can't have favorites why be a fan at all?

Yes Sherdog posters act ignorant.. and annoying.. and they bring out the worse in people.

But hay that's what hard core fans do. Ever try and talk reason to a hard core cubs fan (or any other die hard baseball fanatic).

Like.. say some poor sob catches a fowl ball and next thing you know everyone thinks your hitler.

It's a lossing battle to defend Sherdog I know, but what the hell it's fun to play devil's advocate sometimes.

Truth of the matter is I think alot people just like to come out and say what there thinking. To play Psudo Phil Baroni's if you will. So I consider the place a guilty pleasure.

[Mad Dog]

I like UFC better mostly because I like the elements that the cage brings to the match more.

[habbalah]

Oh hay i just picked up an interview that if anyones curious about what Leben's considering next, I'm glad to see he wants to actaully "earn" a title shot and not just keep asking for it.

Chris Leben Sets the Record Straight About Baroni and Koscheck
By Cindy Ortiz


In light of all the controversy surrounding a UFC: 56 after party in Las Vegas at club Pure, I called on Robert Roveta, Chris Leben’s manager from Denaro Sports Marketing, to set something up between myself and the “Cat-Smashing Crippler” to find out what his version of the evenings events were.

We also discussed a rematch between Chris Leben and Josh Koscheck after some recent “less-than-respectful” comments hit the online MMA community originating from Koscheck’s camp and Leben had plenty to say about “The Blanket!”

Cindy: Hi Chris! I know you are slammed Monday through Friday and try to limit interviews to weekends but I just had to try and pull some strings with Robert to set something up so I could find out what the heck really happened at the UFC: 56 after party. I know you are on your break so I’ll try to be brief, OK?

Chris: No problem, Cindy, I got maybe 15-20 minutes so what’s up?

Cindy: What happened between you and Baroni during the after party?

Chris: You know, I’m hearing things about that but I’m not too sure what people are talking about.

Cindy: The story goes something like Phil confronted you about wanting to fight and you sorta “bowed out gracefully” from the confrontation. The exchange got heated and somehow he ended up slapping Loretta Hunt, a writer for Full Contact Fighter, which led to BJ Penn getting involved in the fiasco but spectators kept him and Baroni apart. Does any of this sound familiar?
Chris: Not really, Cindy! Either I was too drunk to notice or it never happened… and I wasn’t drunk (laughter)! I didn’t see anyone get slapped and I don’t recall BJ Penn and Phil Baroni almost going at it. My version of what happened is that Phil said something to me about fighting and I told him I thought it would be a great match up.

Cindy: Now, you and Baroni were rumored to have been possibly fighting recently but you turned it down due to the lack of training time. Do you think this mishap was a result of you not taking the fight?

Chris: First of all, I never turned down the fight with Baroni. What happened is Dana White called me about fighting Phil. I told him I’d fight him and thought it would be a good one, but we were looking at only three weeks out from my last fight. I would have liked to have had more time to prepare but I would fight him anyway. Dana said he’d call me back but he never did. Then I started hearing about how I turned the fight with Baroni down and that’s not what happened. I never turned that fight down… I would have fought him. I’ll fight anyone the UFC puts in front of me and I can promise you, Cindy, I ain’t afraid of no man (laughter)!

Cindy: Oh, I don’t doubt that for a minute. I’ll stress that you never turned down the fight with Phil and let people know what went down between you and Dana. It sounds like people simply drew the wrong conclusion about the fight not going down as rumored. Back to the “night in question,” did you see Phil slap anyone?
Chris: No. I think people are just saying what they want to say. I was there and, like I said, I didn’t see anyone get slapped.

Cindy: But the person “saying” this happened is Phil.

Chris: Are you shitting me?

Cindy: No. In fact, Baroni insisted on “going on record” yesterday in an interview with Inside Fighting to proclaim he did in fact slap Loretta Hunt. Was Loretta present when you and Phil “had your chat?”

Chris: I didn’t see her. I mean if she was around, she wasn’t trying to interview me or anything so I could have maybe overlooked her. All I know is I’ll fight Phil Baroni any time and if the fans want to see this fight, the UFC should really try to put it together and maybe they will.

Cindy: Do you know who you are fighting in January yet?

Chris: No, I haven’t been told yet but I’m hoping it’s Phil Baroni, you know? I mean, let’s do this thing because I don’t see Baroni as being a real threat, but I think he would be a good opponent for me.

Cindy: It would definitely be a great fight. So how’s life in Washington State? I know you moved there to be closer to June and you’re doing some personal training. How goes it?

Chris: It’s great, I mean I didn’t just up and walk out on Team Quest. All those guys are still my good friends but I needed a change, you know? I’m happier in the sense that I actually get to see my girlfriend and that’s a good thing and I’m training with Matt Hume and he’s an amazing fighter and trainer. It’s good to change up who you train with and that people at AKC have been great to work out with.
Things are more disciplined here. He’s got me on a tight schedule and a pretty good routine. I’m training about four hours a day. I wake up in the mornings, go to work and then train in the evenings. I’m working a lot on my cardio and eating right, too, so things are good.

Cindy: When you fight from this point forward, which camp will you represent; Team Quest or AMC?

Chris: Both… both. I’ll have Matt Hume from AMC in my corner and Robert Follis from Team Quest. All the Team Quest guys are still my friends, especially Nate, so there’s no hard feelings there at all.

Cindy: Did you stop drinking completely or adapt a “consumption in moderation” attitude?

Chris: Um… I definitely cut back a lot compared to how much I used to drink, so that’s good too.

Cindy: OK. I told Koscheck I was interviewing you today and he asked me to pass along a message to you.

Chris: Oh really?

Cindy: Yep! I have interviewed Koscheck a couple of times and he still has a “bad taste” in his mouth for you. When asked if he wanted to fight you again, he responded:
“I think Leben wants to fight me more than I want to fight him because I won last time! Yeah, I’d definitely jump at the chance to fight Leben again because we do NOT like each other, we just don’t get along and I think it would be worse for him in a rematch because my skills on the ground and standing up have greatly improved since the last time I beat him! What the hell, I’d throw down with Leben again and I’d kick his ass again.”

Koscheck also said: “Chris still likes to talk smack about me when he’s in the public’s eye but he doesn’t do that when there’s no camera around and he’s around me. I feel sorry for him; he’s just a young kid who has a lot of growing up to do still, so…..whatever! Be sure to ask him why he’s only been fighting pussies since TUF 1!”

What are your thoughts about Koscheck these days and what is your response to his comments?

Chris: Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve only fought pussies since the show. It’s not like Drew Fickett is at the top of the food chain, you know? Koscheck shot in there going for another predictable double and Drew was waiting for him (laughter) with a big knee!

Cindy: You don’t think Josh had that fight in the bag until Drew got lucky with the knee?

Chris: Hell no! Koscheck did the same he always does. He was predictable, you know? Drew saw it and took advantage of the opportunity. That’s not luck in my book. Koscheck’s a decent wrestler but his ground game sucks as bad as his stand up. Even though our fight doesn’t count in the record books, I still want to fight him again so I can kick his ass decisively.

Cindy: Other than “you’ll kick his ass,” what do you think would be different the second time around?

Chris: I’d knock his ass out in the first round without a doubt. He would never be able to pull his “lay and pray” because he’d never get me on my back like that again. In my opinion, Koscheck won the fight but he didn’t beat me. That same scenario would never play out the same way a second time.

I have a few questions and comments from your fans on The Ultimate Fighter forum.

From Team Quest Fan: Chris is the man! I have been a fan since TUF 1 and will continue to be until he retires. Keep going Chris; you look better with every fight and I can’t wait until your next one. Question: Would you ever fight Nate?

Chris: Thanks for the support Team Quest Fan. No, I would never fight Nate. To me, Nate is like a mentor and he has done a lot to help me and we’re good friends. Nate is like a brother to me and if we ever fought, things would never be the same between us. There’s nothing to prove between me and Nate so no, I’d never fight him.
From Little Kang: If you ever have a rematch with Swick, would the outcome be different and if so, how?

Chris: Cool name, Kang. Um… I want to fight Swick again and I see it ending via round one submission and another tough break for Mike.

Cindy: How and what round?

Chris: Oh, I’d submit him in the first round with an armbar probably.
Forum moderator, Brewster wants you to know: The poll has been taken and you need to change his name “officially” to the Catsmasher! He loves that nickname so much better than the Crippler!

Chris: (laughter) My fans can call me whatever they want to; Catsmasher or Crippler, I don’t really mind which.
JonB wants to know: On the TUF show you said that if you lost the show, you would come back in the UFC and beat whoever won the contract... So when are you gonna smash Diego?!

Chris: Diego isn’t in my weight division. He gained weight for the show and I’m a true middle-weight and there’s no way I can cut down to 170. If Diego steps up to a middleweight, I’d like to fight him, for sure.
From forum member Zach: What did you think about Nate getting a title shot?

Chris: I think that’s what the UFC does, you know? They give fighters opportunities to prove themselves. I think Nate was ready. He finished three opponents in a decisive fashion, all in round one, and earned a title shot. It didn’t turn out in his favor, but you know, that’s how it goes sometimes. He’ll be back.
From Jordan: Would you rather knock out or summit Koscheck?

Chris: Jordan, I prefer knocking him out.

Forum member bsumoose wants to know: Since you have a great stand up game...have you almost abandoned that in practice to learn BJJ...and are you learning any thing else?

Chris: Moose, no… my stand up isn’t taking a rest. I still work stand up just as much as I concentrate on my ground skills. The biggest advantage of moving to another camp is getting to train with other great fighters and that’s what I have here at AMC. These guys challenge me every day and I have picked up a lot of new stuff.

Lancer has a few questions for you:
How would you rate yourself in your weight division?

Chris: Let’s see… I think I’m definitely a top-ten guy.

Do you feel ready for a title fight?

Chris: I think I should have to fight the guys in the top-ten and earn a title shot. Until I do that and prove I am the number one contender for a title fight, I’m not going to feel like I earned it. If the opportunity presents itself before then, I’m not going to turn it down!

What aspect of your game have you improved the most since TUF?

Chris: Working from my back and getting off of my back if I end up there.
From craigdcan: Was Patrick Cote the hardest punch you've ever felt? If not, then who?

Chris: I think he might have been, Craig. He hits hard! I’ve been hit pretty hard in the past, too.

Friendly Stranger has a few for you:
Do you ever plan on going back to Oregon to train with team quest in the future?

Chris: You never know. Like I said, I love all those guys and consider them to be good friends of mine. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any of them. I’m sure we’ll eventually end up training together again in the future.

When do you plan on retiring from MMA?
Chris: NEVER!

Forum member Chocell has a few:
Are he and Koscheck still feuding?
Chris: I guess so if Koscheck is saying I talk shit about him behind his back and when a camera is nearby but he isn’t! I can’t wait to be standing across the octagon from him one day soon (I hope) because he talks a good game but can’t back it up. Like I said, he won on the show, but he didn’t beat me. Koscheck can’t beat me and I think he knows that. He just likes to talk a lot of shit and then smile when he sees me.

Besides Nate Quarry, are there others competitors you won't fight?

Chris: The only other fighter I can think of I’d probably never want to fight is Evan Tanner. He and I are like brothers, too.

Who does he want to fight?

Chris: I will fight anyone the UFC tells me to but I really want to fight Baroni and Koscheck. Swick has said in the past that he wants a rematch so I would do that for him (laughter) so he’d realize the first time I beat him wasn’t a fluke!

Cindy: Mike’s going to love that one! That’s going to about do it, Chris. I’m glad we finally got to touch base because you’re a hard kid to pin down.
Do you want to plug your web site, mention any sponsors or have any messages for your fans?

Chris: Yeah, I stay pretty busy. To you, thanks for the interview and the little message from Koscheck. Oh, I’m in the market for a supplements sponsor. Anyone reading this who would like to sponsor me so I can keep training and winning fights, please contact me through my web site at chrisleben.com. If you work for a company that wants me to represent them (laughter) and become a sponsor, please hit me up.
I think I have the greatest fans and I appreciate all the support I get from you guys because when I’m in the gym busting my ass, my motivation a lot of the times is my fans. They’re the best.

Cindy: I’ll make sure I send Koscheck a copy of the interview so he’ll know what you had to say about some of his comments and his message to you (laughter)! I don’t think many people could say they don’t want to see the two of you mix it up in the octagon again!

Chris: Anytime! We’ll find out who the pussy is.

Cindy: Oh, dayum! I’ll be in touch soon, Chris. Take care.

Chris: You, too. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks again.

[habbalah]

Hay guys I got this new interview from Chris Leben! And gues what! He took a question from you know who.
lockflow.com/article_view.php?id=960

Q: From Magog: "In the future does he feel he could move.. up or down in weight if he had to?"
A: I kind of think that I’m on the cusp, so to speak…I’m a big 185’er as it is. But if I get the title here and move up to 205, that means more burritos for me!

Ha! kick a$$. See Sherdog's not all bad.