Christian Cyrus Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American former

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...

, and bare knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2002 until 2013, he most notably competed in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

division, compiling a record of 12–10 in 22 appearances for the organization. Leben first appeared in the inaugural season of ''

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

'' reality series, and also fought in the now-defunct WEC. He began his

career with five victories in a row before suffering a

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

loss to future UFC Middleweight Champion

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 ...

, and was known for his toughness, chin, determination, and powerful left hand. Leben was the inaugural WEC Middleweight Champion.

Background

Leben is from Portland, Oregon and has one older brother and one younger sister. He grew up without his father around, and he did not meet his father until he was 23 years old. Because of this, Leben's mother worked hard for many hours daily as a bartender so that she could support the family. Growing up Leben enjoyed skateboarding, dirt biking, and snowboarding. When he was in middle school, he began watching the UFC and became very interested in MMA. He began training in

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

, and then was on the

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

team at

Benson Polytechnic High School Benson Polytechnic High School (BHS) is a technical public high school in the Portland Public Schools district. Its campus is located in the Central Eastside commercial area of Portland, Oregon, United States. Students are given a special em ...

, picking up the sport rather quickly. Leben did not receive a very good education in his childhood, and did not know how to read or write even after graduating high school. Leben soon joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, falsely being told by the recruiter that he would be allowed to wrestle for the army's team. When he found that he would not be allowed to wrestle for the army, Leben went

AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

and was discharged.

Mixed martial arts

Early career

While visiting his brother at work one day, Leben noticed an MMA gym located across the street, home to

Team Quest Team Quest is a mixed martial arts training camp founded by Randy Couture and Dan Henderson with facilities located in Gresham, Oregon; Murrieta, California; Encinitas, California; Redding, California; Hemet, California; and Chiang Mai, Thailand ...

. Trainer Robert Follis accepted Leben into the team, and soon Leben was training with

Randy Couture Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American mixed martial arts commentator, actor, former United States Army sergeant, former professional mixed martial artist, and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestlin ...

, Matt Lindland,

Nate Quarry Nathan Parker "Nate" Quarry (born March 19, 1972) is a retired United States, American mixed martial arts fighter who is most notable for his appearance in ''The Ultimate Fighter'', a reality show from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well ...

, and Ed Herman. After refining his talent, Leben began fighting as an amateur, achieving a record of 5–0, and capturing the FCFF and UFCF middleweight titles. After his success in the amateur ranks where he went 4–0, Leben turned professional. He won his first five fights, three of them by knockout, and in the process won the Gladiator Challenge, Sportfight, and WEC Middleweight titles. Leben achieved wins against Benji Radach and Mike Swick, but suffered a decision loss to Joe Doerksen.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Leben was one of the most controversial and outspoken fighters on ''

The Ultimate Fighter 1 The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter (later designated ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'') premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters (eight light heavyweights weighing from 186 to 205 lb and eight middleweights weighing from ...

'' due to his variously abrasive and melancholy personality. In the first episode, while intoxicated, he urinated on future teammate Jason Thacker's bed, and stole his pillow. One night when everyone in the household was drinking, Leben challenged Bobby Southworth to fight who then called Leben a "fatherless bastard" on account of Leben's father being absent during his childhood, requiring Leben being physically restrained from accosting Southworth. Leben then began sobbing and proceeded to sleep outside. After a heated confrontation precipitated by

Josh Koscheck Josh Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought at Welterweight for the UFC and Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, ''The Ultimate ...

and Southworth spraying a sleeping Leben with a hose, Leben broke a door with his fist. After the confrontation, UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...

set up a match between Leben and Koscheck, which Leben lost by unanimous decision due to Koscheck's ability to score points by controlling Leben on the ground. Later in the show, teammate

was eliminated from the competition due to an ankle injury and was able to choose a previously eliminated fighter to replace him. He chose Leben, who was later defeated by

Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan "Kenny" Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011 to 2018, ...

due to doctor stoppage in the first semi-final match after Florian opened a cut above Leben's eye with an elbow strike. His losses on the show are not on his professional record, as the fights were classified by Nevada as exhibition bouts due to the decisions of the bouts not being disclosed until the fights aired on the show rather than being posted immediately following the fights.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On April 9, 2005, Leben fought Jason Thacker on the undercard of the live finale of ''The Ultimate Fighter 1''. Thacker was not amused when he watched the show and found out Leben had used his bed as a urinal. Speaking with Dana White, Thacker demanded a match against Leben at the finale. The match was set up, and Leben won 95 seconds into the first round after referee stoppage due to strikes. Afterward, Leben apologized to Thacker for urinating on his bed, saying he had since given up drinking because of that sort of incident. After the show, Leben moved to

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, to train with AMC Pankration. He has competed in several UFC events since the show and is the only person to have fought in the first six Ultimate Fight Night events, during which he earned a string of victories: a split decision win over future TUF 4 finalist Patrick Côté, an armbar submission against Edwin Dewees, a first-round TKO over Jorge Rivera, and a unanimous decision over Luigi Fioravanti. Leben was defeated by

at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5 on June 28, 2006, by KO 49 seconds into the first round, but returned at UFC Fight Night 6 on August 17, 2006, where he defeated Jorge Santiago by

35 seconds into the second round. He is the only fighter to fight at every event under the "Fight Night" banner. This fight earned him a '' Knockout of the Night'' award. Leben then lost at UFC 66 to longtime UFC veteran

Jason MacDonald Jason Anthony MacDonald (born June 3, 1975) is a Canadian former mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he is perhaps best remembered for his two stints in the UFC, but also fought for King of the Cage, and the Maximum Fight ...

via technical submission due to a modified guillotine choke with less than a minute remaining in the second round. Leben then lost to

Kalib Starnes Kalib Starnes (born January 6, 1975) is a Canadian mixed martial artist. Early life Starnes became involved in the martial arts at an early age and began teaching when he was a teenager. He started training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie A ...

by a very close unanimous decision at '' UFC 71'' on May 26, 2007. This fight earned him a $40,000 '' Fight of the Night'' award. It was reported that Leben was offered a main event fight against Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 11, but turned down the fight for unknown reasons; it was later revealed on the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 reunion show by UFC President

's call to matchmaker Joe Silva that Leben's camp turned down the fight and that Leben himself had no prior knowledge of the fight offer. Leben instead took on Terry Martin on the same UFC Fight Night 11 card. Even after being rocked with multiple punches by Martin, a half-dazed Leben defeated Martin by knockout at 3:56 of the third round. This fight earned him another '' Knockout of the Night'' award. At UFC 82, he knocked out Italian

Alessio Sakara Alessio Sakara (born September 2, 1981) is an Italian professional mixed martial artist, former professional boxer and Sanshou kickboxer, currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sakara has als ...

in the first round, winning another '' Knockout of the Night'' award. On April 30, 2008, Leben was arrested in Oregon by

Clackamas County Clackamas County ( ) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the na ...

Sheriffs for a DUI stemming from an earlier date. He was kept in

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...

and temporarily held without bond for allegedly violating his probation. Leben was then sentenced to 35 days in jail. This caused him to have to pull out of

UFC 85 ''UFC 85: Bedlam'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 7, 2008, at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. Background The card was plagued by a number of injuries sustained by scheduled fight ...

where he was scheduled to fight

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English former mixed martial artist, sports commentator, analyst, and actor. He competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

. The fight against

was then rescheduled for

UFC 89 ''UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 18, 2008, at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Background The event was headlined by a middleweight ...

, which he lost by a unanimous decision after a full three rounds. Leben taunted Bisping throughout the last two rounds by dropping his arms and raising his chin. The judges scored the fight 30–27 (twice) and 29–28 for Bisping. Bisping used effective counter punching in the fight to keep the aggressive Leben at bay. Both fighters showed sportsmanship by congratulating one another and raising each other's arm after the fight. After the fight with Bisping, Leben tested positive for

Stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is a synthetic androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American ph ...

and was suspended for nine months and fined a third of his fight purse. He was eligible to return in July 2009. Leben admitted he had used the substance several months prior to the fight, but stated he had assumed it would have been out of his system by then. Leben then fought Jake Rosholt at UFC 102 in Leben's hometown of Portland, Oregon. In the third round, he was rendered unconscious via an arm triangle choke, losing the fight by submission. Leben then faced

Jay Silva Jay Silva (born May 25, 1981) is an Angolan-born American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2008, Silva has also formerly competed for the UFC, Bellator, the MFC, KSW, and T ...

on January 11, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20, winning via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27). Leben was expected to face Aaron Simpson at UFC 114, but the bout took place on June 19, 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale. After a rough first round where Simpson slammed Leben a couple of times, Leben eventually connected consecutive punches on Simpson in the second that sent him stumbling across the octagon, collapsing face first at the other side of the octagon, prompting referee Josh Rosenthal to end the fight via TKO at 4:17 of the second round. This fight earned him another '' Knockout of the Night'' award. After

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the most wins, knockouts, ...

was forced out of his

UFC 116 ''UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was voted as the Best Major Show in the 2010 List of Wrestling ...

bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama due to broken ribs, Leben agreed to fill in for Silva in the bout against Akiyama, and faced him two weeks after defeating Simpson. Although he was outstruck and outwrestled for most of the first round, Leben managed to stay competitive and keep a fast-paced fight with the rapidly tiring Akiyama in the second round. In the third and final round, Leben capitalized and sunk in a triangle choke with just twenty seconds left in the fight, forcing Akiyama to submit. It was considered the best performance of Leben's career and one of the best fights of the year. This fight earned him another '' Fight of the Night'' award. After the fight, Leben called for a fight with Silva, saying "come on Wanderlei, I'll take you out, too!", though UFC president

said in the post-fight press conference that a Leben-Silva affair is not under consideration. Leben won Sherdog.com's Comeback Fighter of the Year for 2010. On October 20, 2010, Leben was arrested in Honolulu, Hawaii for suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing his truck into a wall off of Kapiolani Boulevard. He was released from custody after posting bail. Leben faced Brian Stann on January 1, 2011, at

UFC 125 ''UFC 125: Resolution'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The planned rematch between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson ...

He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. After the fight between Leben and Stann, Leben's coach Burton Richardson says Leben's poor performance may have been caused by a sickness before the bout: "First, great job by Brian Stann. He never looked better. Many have commented that Chris was very slow and looked off last night. The truth is that Chris was sick. He had a fever and chills when he stepped into the cage. He was vomiting in the locker room before the fight, and after a hard warm up he didn't have a drop of sweat. Big heart to fight like that, but he was moving slow motion. He was very sharp in training. He will be back." On April 4, 2011, the UFC announced that Leben's next opponent would be

with the two scheduled to meet on July 2, 2011, at UFC 132. Leben knocked out Silva with consecutive

uppercut The uppercut (formerly known as the undercut) is a punch used in boxing that starts low and travels upwards vertically aiming at the opponent's chin or upper abdomen (so-called " solar plexus"). It is, along with the cross, one of the two main p ...

s from the clinch, 27 seconds into the fight, resulting in the fastest

win in Leben's career. Leben faced

Mark Muñoz Mark Kenery Muñoz (born February 9, 1978) is a Filipino-American former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 2007 until 2015, Muno ...

on November 5, 2011, at

UFC 138 ''UFC 138: Leben vs. Muñoz'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 5, 2011 at LG Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the United ...

, losing by TKO at the 5:00 mark of the 2nd round due to a cut on his left eyebrow and left him unable to see and forced a corner stoppage. On November 28, 2011, Zuffa LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, released information stating that Leben tested positive for

oxycodone Oxycodone, sold under the brand name Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended-release form) among others, is a semi-synthetic opioid used medically for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and is a commonly ...

and

oxymorphone Oxymorphone (sold under the brand names Numorphan and Opana among others) is a highly potent opioid analgesic indicated for treatment of severe pain. Pain relief after injection begins after about 5–10 minutes; after oral administration it ...

following his loss to Muñoz at

. As a result of the positive test, Leben was suspended from fighting for 1 year. Leben's return fight was expected to be against Karlos Vemola on December 29, 2012, at UFC 155. However, Vemola was forced out of the bout and replaced by promotional newcomer Derek Brunson. Leben was defeated via unanimous decision. Leben fought Andrew Craig and lost by split decision on July 6, 2013, at UFC 162. Leben faced

Uriah Hall Uriah Alexander Hall (born July 31, 1984) is a Jamaican-American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Kickboxing, kickboxer, and current Professional boxing, boxer. He competed in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight divi ...

on December 28, 2013, at

UFC 168 ''UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on December 28, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Middleweight Championship rematch between current champion ...

. After almost being knocked out at the end of the first round, Leben told his corner that he was done, taking a TKO loss to Hall after the first round. UFC commentator Joe Rogan pointed out during the broadcast that Leben asked, "Was I knocked out?" as he was being led to his corner. Leben then reiterated "I'm done" multiple times before the fight was waved off. This marked Leben's fourth loss in a row.

Retirement

On January 20, 2014, Leben announced his retirement from MMA competition. He will continue his martial arts legacy by focusing on coaching his students and pro fighters at his new MMA gym "The Training Center" in San Diego, California. He cited an increasingly talented middleweight roster, his recent losing streak and the risk of serious injury as reasons for retiring. He called himself fortunate to have never had surgery throughout his record 22-fight middleweight stint, though he predicted several of his nagging injuries will get worse with time. On February 5, 2021, after his first-round knockout win over Quentin Henry in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Leben announced his official retirement from combat sports.

Bellator MMA

After two years away from active competition for Leben, it was announced by Scott Coker on Inside MMA that Leben had signed a multi-fight deal with

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

in February 2016. However, after undergoing a physical to be cleared, he failed several electrocardiogram (EKG) tests, according to the statement. Doctors discovered a "life-threatening abnormality" to the left ventricle of his heart, which was "oversized", "misshapen", and "not operating properly," thus ending any possibility of a return.

Unretirement

In late 2018 Chris came out of retirement after being given an all-clear by doctors.

Bare knuckle boxing

World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation

After a return to MMA never materialized, Leben instead turned to bare knuckle boxing. He faced

Phil Baroni Philip George Baroni (April 16, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist, kickboxer, boxer, and professional wrestler. Baroni competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, Cage Rage, DREAM, EliteXC, Bellator MMA, Titan FC, Palace Fi ...

at the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation debut card on November 9, 2018. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. In March 2019, reports surfaced that Leben had sued WBKFF for $90,000 in unpaid salary.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Leben made his debut for

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. The promotion was founded in April 2018, and is presided over by David Feldman. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official st ...

on April 6, 2019. He faced Justin Baesman in the show's co-main event. Leben won the fight via knockout just 25 seconds into the first round. Leben was supposed to face Brennan Ward at BKFC 6 on June 22, 2019. On June 12, news surfaced that Ward withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Dakota Cochrane. Leben lost the fight by unanimous decision. Leben faced Quentin Henry at BKFC: Knucklemania on February 5, 2021. He won the fight via knockout in the first round and subsequently announced his retirement from combat sports.

Personal life

In May 2007, Leben moved to East

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

, Hawaii to accept the main coaching job at Icon Fitness MMA Gym. In addition to training at ICON, Leben and fighter Steven "The Soul Samurai" Saito opened Ultimate Fight School gym in

in January, located two blocks from the

University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

campus. Leben is a playable fighter in the UFC Undisputed video games. Before becoming a professional fighter, Leben worked construction and was a housepainter. Leben has a radio show called "Unfiltered MMA Radio". In 2016, Leben completed Herb Dean's mixed martial arts referee course, making him eligible to referee bouts in California. After refereeing in the regional circuit, Leben debuted in notable shows at Golden Boy Promotions: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3. Having a well-documented past with substance abuse, Leben states he has been sober since 2015, and is actively advocating for

clean eating Clean eating is an umbrella term for variety of diets based on the belief that consuming whole foods and avoiding convenience food and other processed foods offers certain health benefits. Variations of the diet may also exclude gluten, grains, ...

and a healthy lifestyle. In February 2022, Leben was hospitalized for breathing issues after contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Legal issues

In October 2010, Leben was arrested in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

on suspicion of

driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...

after crashing his pick-up truck near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit on

Interstate H-1 Interstate H-1 (H-1) is the longest (27.16 miles = 43.71km) and busiest Interstate Highway in the US state of Hawaii. The highway is located on the island of Oʻahu. Despite the number, this is an east–west highway; the 'H'-series (for H ...

. He was later released on $1,000 bail. In June 2015, Leben was arrested on multiple charges after breaking into his ex-wife's

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

apartment. Charges included felony possession of a weapon and 11 counts of disobeying a court order after violating a restraining order his ex-wife had filed against him. When police arrived to the apartment, they found a .45 caliber pistol on a bed that belonged to Leben. In August, Leben pleaded guilty to the felony weapons charge and to the

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...

charges of vandalism and violating a restraining order. He was sentenced to serve 120 days in jail and three years of probation after release.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

Season 1 Semi-Finalist ** Knockout of the Night (Four times) vs. Jorge Santiago, Terry Martin,

, Aaron Simpson ** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

and Yoshihiro Akiyama ** UFC Encyclopedia Awards *** Fight of the Night (One time) *** Knockout of the Night (One time) ** Fifth most bouts in UFC Middleweight division history (22) ** Tied (

, Derek Brunson &

Yoel Romero Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate ...

) for fourth most knockouts in UFC Middleweight division history (7) ** Tied ( Sean Strickland & Jean Silva) for third fastest turnaround to win two fights (14 days in 2010) ** Fought in the First 5 Round Non-Title Main Event in

history **UFC.com Awards ***2007: Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year ***2010: Ranked #10 Fighter of the Year , Half-Year Awards: Best Fight of the 1HY & Ranked #2 Fight of the Year *

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

** WEC Middleweight Championship (One time, first) *Gladiator Challenge **GC Middleweight Championship (One time) *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

and MMANews247.com ** 2010 Comeback Fighter of the Year *Amateur titles **FCFF Middleweight Championship (One time) **UFCF Middleweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, Loss , align=center, 22–12 ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

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Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146. Fairfax is pa ...

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Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

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Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5 , Terry Martin , KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 , Jorge Santiago , KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:35 ,

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, KO (knee) , UFC Fight Night 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 , Luigi Fioravanti , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Jorge Rivera , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Edwin Dewees , Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:26 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Patrick Côté , Decision (split) , UFC Ultimate Fight Night , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Jason Thacker , TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Benji Radach , TKO (broken jaw) , SF 4: Fight For Freedom , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:43 ,

Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city in the Willamette Valley, Located in Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon, bordered by Portland to the northwest and partially in the southwest. It was first settled in the early 1850s by the Powell brothers. It ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 , Joe Doerksen , Decision (unanimous) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Justin Davis , KO (punch) , SF 3: Dome , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Boyd Ballard , KO (punches) , UFCF: Night of Champions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 ,

Lynnwood, Washington Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located north of Seattle and south of Everett, Washington, Everett, near the junction of Interstate 5 in Washington, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Mike Swick , KO (punch) ,

WEC 9 WEC 9: Cold Blooded was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 16, 2004, at the Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore, California. The main event saw Mike Kyle take on Jude Hargett. Results ...

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Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , James Fanshier , Decision (unanimous) , Gladiator Challenge 20 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Colusa, California Colusa is a city in and the county seat of Colusa County, California, located in the Sacramento Valley region of the Central Valley. The population was 6,411 at the 2020 census, up from 5,971 at the 2010 census. Colusa originates from the l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Brian Sleeman , Submission (armbar) , WEC 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Boyd Ballard , Submission (armbar) , UFCF: Night of Champions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Landon Showalter , Decision (unanimous) , TQP: Sport Fight "Second Coming" , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Otto Olson , KO (punch) , UFCF: Battle in Seattle , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Paulo Gazze , Decision , HFP: Hitman Fight Productions 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Bryce Hamilton , Submission (armbar) , UFCF: Everett Extreme Challenge 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 ,

Everett, Washington Everett (; ) is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the Seattle metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett ...

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Bareknuckle boxing record

, - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Quentin Henry , KO (punch) , BKFC KnuckleMania , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 ,

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Dakota Cochrane , Decision (unanimous) , BKFC 6 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Justin Baesman , KO (punches) , BKFC 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, TKO (punch) , World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:19 ,

Casper, Wyoming Casper is a city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the List of municipalities in Wyoming, second-most populous city in the state after Cheyenne, Wyoming, Cheyenne, with the population at 59,038 as of th ...

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Notes and references

External links

The Arena - Coaches Profile
* *
Official UFC Profile
*
Chris Leben arrested for DUI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leben, Chris 1980 births American male mixed martial artists American sportspeople in doping cases Mixed martial artists from Oregon Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American bare-knuckle boxers Living people American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Martial artists from Portland, Oregon Doping cases in mixed martial arts Boxers from Portland, Oregon Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters World Extreme Cagefighting champions

Background

Mixed martial arts

Early career

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Retirement

Bellator MMA

Unretirement

Bare knuckle boxing

World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Personal life

Legal issues

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Bareknuckle boxing record

See also

Notes and references

External links