Is UFC Fight Night 20 Chris Leben's last stand?
by Jesse Holland on Jan 11, 2010 12:56 PM EST
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Props: Five Knuckles
Quoteworthy:
"I'm going to fight my heart out. I love to stand up and bang with guys. This is a make it or break it for me. I have to lay it all on the line. When it comes Monday night, I'm going to go out there with bad intentions, I'm going to go out there with the belief that if I don't win, I go home. I'm not in the UFC anymore and that's not what I want. I need to win. I have to win. Expect some fireworks Monday night."
Embattled Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 1 star Chris Leben hopes to get himself back into the win column against promotion sophomore Jay Silva at UFC Fight Night 20 after back-to-back losses inside the Octagon. "The Crippler" had returned from a nine-month steroids suspension (following his defeat to Michael Bisping at UFC 89) only to get submitted by Jake Rosholt (arm-triangle choke) in front of a hometown crowd at UFC 102: "Couture vs. Nogueira" last August. Leben understands the dangers of going 0-3 under the Zuffa banner but could turn things around with a highlight reel knockout -- the same finish that helped propel him to notoriety earlier in his career. Does the power-puncher still have the chops to hang with today's elite? Or has the curtain lowered on a UFC career that spans 14 fights?
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Pretty much
Jay Silva will finish him with strikes. It’s gonna be ugly for Leben fans to see that this is all talk probly preceeded by a lackluster camp and boozing.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jan 11, 2010 1:13 PM EST up reply actions
normally I would say, easy win for silva...but leben with a lot to lose is usually dangerous
he is however dumb enough to come into this fight drunk n out of shape, so who knows!
the days of the tough, one-dimensional brawlers is over
it’s just not gonna get you very far anymore. the last time leben said he was “reinventing” himself (against bisping), it involved getting cornrows and taking steroids. he don’t belong in the ufc no mo.
Depends on the person
He can either crumble or it’ll make him at his most dangerous…animal backed into a corner
by irishlilpete on Jan 11, 2010 1:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions
last time Leben dropped 2 in a row
he came back from behind and KO’d Terry Martin in quite dramatic fashion. I hope to see the same thing here.
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
I don't know what to expect from Leben it might be the best fight of his life and if so he will destroy Silva
but if he doesn’t finish Silva with dominant performance i think he may get his papers. It’s an intrigueing fight and I hope they show it tonight as a fill in.
Leben's not been the same since Andy murdered him
He hasn’t improved at all and has become older, slower and more predictable. All he has left in his arsenal is a powerful left hand and if you don’t try to brawl with Leben then you’re not in danger of being KO’d because he doesn’t set up his punchers, he just comes at you like a wildman. Even Jake Rosholt gave Leben problems on the feet before taking him down and choking him out.
I like Leben, he’s exciting and has always shown heart but he doesn’t have the wrestling, BJJ or striking skills or indeed the training and work ethic to be anything more than a brawler with one good punch and that is not enough to be a success in the UFC in 2010, Jay Silva should have this one in the bag.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
Jay Silva have this one in the bag?
I don’t think so. Silva is training with Kongo, when has anyone training with Kongo been successful? This is Leben’s fight to lose.
"He#s the WWE champ and with out a doubt should be ranked higher than any other man in the UFC. "-Puck Head, LOL.
em a few guys...
rampage and bisping train with congo they r pretty sucessful
Rampage was successful before he started training there
And Bisping isn’t what I would call successful.
"He#s the WWE champ and with out a doubt should be ranked higher than any other man in the UFC. "-Puck Head, LOL.
Being 18-2 isnt successful?
I dont like Bisping either but to say that is ridiculous.
I would agree with the Guru on this one.
You might find Bisping unlikeable, but having an .800 winning percentage in the strongest org out there is nothing to shake a stick at.
by ShowMeYourJits on Jan 11, 2010 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
Never having beaten a contender is unsuccessful
18-2 against cans isn’t a success boys, sorry to disagree. I’m not talking about records, I’m talking talent. Bisping isn’t going anywhere with his training in England.
Training with Kongo and Bisping isn’t going to win you a championship.
"He#s the WWE champ and with out a doubt should be ranked higher than any other man in the UFC. "-Puck Head, LOL.
So you have to win a championship to be considered successful?
I guess 90% of mma fighters arent successful then.
what about rampage...
when he started training with them he ko’d silva
No, Guru
Beating only cans and getting your lights turned out in the only big fight you’ve ever had-is unsuccessful.
If you think Bisping is a success, so is almost every other fighter in the UFC. Rampage didn’t win fights because of his training in the UK, if you think he is winning because of the training there, you are wrong.
"He#s the WWE champ and with out a doubt should be ranked higher than any other man in the UFC. "-Puck Head, LOL.
true that jay
I’m a huge page fan and I have to say he doesn’t look as good lately infact he looks worse and he’s still a good fighter but he could be great. by the way you better be careful what you type jay I’m watching you very very very closely
Memorable Quotes
"He beat me fair & square. no, I’m sorry, he beat me fairly squarely" – GSP
"I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?" – BJ Penn
"He broke tim sylvia’s arm…...So what?" – Brock Lesnar
"That little fucker hit me with a Hadukan or something" – Nick Diaz on Gomi
"Well, I’m 22 right now, so in three years I see myself being 25." – Rampage when he was asked where he saw himself in 3 years
Being a success and being a great fighter are different things jay
He is a well known fighter with many fans who makes lots of money and has a good record. He has plenty of victorys over cans but has some quality victories as well, you need to update your definition of successful. He is definately not a great p4p fighter or a champion at mw but he is a successful fighter so far in his career.
Bisping has been a success in the UK, he’s one of our most well known MMAsts (after Hardy and unfortunately Alex Reid, though Semtex is the best British fighter and Marius is #2 if he counts) and has main evented PPVs since winning TUF. However, he’s never had that career defining victory, he lost to Rashad and Hendo and stole a win over Hamill. If he can get back to back wins over Kang and Wandi then he has to be seen as a top fighter and as a success.
However, Wolfslair are holding him back. They don’t have any good coaching or training partners for Bisping and he’d be much better off taking after Hardy and Semtex and doing a lot of training abroad as you’ll never get quality K-1 or wrestling coaching in the UK. Rough House are a much better training camp in my opinion.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
Leben is done
Jay Silva’s decent, I’m far from a Kongo fan but if he can help Jay improve his striking then that takes away the only advantage that Leben has. Silva needs to come into this fight in good shape and with a good gameplan, all Leben will do is try to brawl and KO Silva with his left hook, he’s desperate for a win and will get even more sloppy than usual. I don’t think that Leben has anything left to trouble any MWs in the UFC.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
Leben might be done
And be forever remembered as the guy who Kos put the hose on lol..
I expect a good fight though. I don’t like fights smaller than MW’s and this card has so many small fighters..
How come you don't like the smaller guys?
There are lots of quality fighters in the lower divisions, arguably the best p4p fighter is a WW (GSP is my personal #2 but he’s #1 in many rankings) and the divisions under 185 are all stacked with talented guys and represented by world class champions. The smaller guys are usually much better conditioned than their larger counter parts and put on much more exciting and competetive fights, maybe it’s because I’m small myself but I’d rather see exciting smaller fighters than big bulky guys with no cardio anyday.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
hope not
leben couldn’t hang with the MWs in SF either.
Leben could easily hang with the mw's in strikeforce.
You guys are talking like leben is a can, he has beaten plenty of good fighters, Patrick cote, Jorge rivera, Jorge santiago,Benji radach, and of course mike swick, he would do just fine in strikeforce but won’t need to since he is staying in the ufc.
he doesn’t have the ground game to deal with shields, mayhem, jacare, lindland
he doesn’t have the standup to deal with hendo, manhoef, or even shamrock
he could probably take on lawler (maybe) and scotty smith.
Leben would get handled by most of SF's MW's....
I would like to know who you think he beats guru.
"You can observe a lot just by watching."-Yogi Berra
Leben was a good fighter
Since the defeat to Andy his career has been in freefall, he’s won few fights and none of those have been over quality fighters. His last good win was over Sakara and that guy is notorious for being inconsistent especially when he tries to brawl. Leben was a good fighter back in his prime and has some big wins but he hasn’t improved his striking, cardio or BJJ at all and looks worse every fight. He won’t beat anyone in SF unless they hire a nobody for him to beat on his debut.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
Even if he wins this fight
It is only delaying the inevitable. He has reached his peak in the UFC, and really has nowhere to go there. If he wins and steps up in competition, he will just be back on another losing streak. Plus, the UFC has gotten a lot stronger in the past year at 185, where as in 2007-2008 Leben was upper-middle of the division, now he is in the lower half. Does anyone really see him making signifigant improvement? No, he is done in the UFC. If not after this fight, then in his next 3 fights or so
Agreed
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
All I want to know is...
Who’s coming to fight and who’s coming to grapple?
by Swedish Chef smerdy herdy verdy on Jan 11, 2010 4:30 PM EST reply actions
I hit you, You hit me... Last one standing wins
Really who does not like Lebens, lets just bang it out and who ever is still standing wins. I say Leben stands right in front of Silva and wins by KO in the 3rd round- Fight of the night
Most of Leben’s fights are lacking in technique but they sure are entertaining when he goes out there with that “who is tougher” mentality. I say keep him even if he loses. Next matchup Leben vs Lytle—- we all know that would be a fun fight to watch.
"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
- General George Patton Jr -
fight of the night?
i hate it when they give fight of the night to the 2 dumbasses standing infront of eachother swinging for the fences.
Tito interviewing Babalu: "I want to tell me what you see, let's go ahead and see by the fight, what you saw, in the ring."
Tito interviewing Fedor: "Let me tell you how you feeling right now?"
Fight of the Night?
I wonder why the UFC does that? The UFC seems to have done pretty well at turning MMA into one of the fastest growing sports, I do not agree with all the decisions they make but somehow it always seems to work for them. All us MMA fans know by now that the UFC is entertainment built onto MMA, that is why I am glad there are other organizations to follow, but for now UFC is the mainstream ( I am not saying that makes it right) and I still like a brawl every once in awhile…..
"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
- General George Patton Jr -
I get bored of stand and bang fights to be honest
It’s fun every once and a while but it’s frustrating to watch guys blow their chances at winning as they’re too bothered about entertaining the fans, that’s the wrong attitude to have in a sporting contest. I’m entertained by strategy so it’s frustrating to watch fights without any tactics. The mindless brawl can be fun to watch but after seeing several Lytle and Leben brawls it gets boring after a while when you know exactly what they’re going to do every fight.
"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."
Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world
Fans pay all the bills so the UFC wants to award those who award the fans it makes sense
Memorable Quotes
"He beat me fair & square. no, I’m sorry, he beat me fairly squarely" – GSP
"I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?" – BJ Penn
"He broke tim sylvia’s arm…...So what?" – Brock Lesnar
"That little fucker hit me with a Hadukan or something" – Nick Diaz on Gomi
"Well, I’m 22 right now, so in three years I see myself being 25." – Rampage when he was asked where he saw himself in 3 years
Fans pay the bills
Makes perfect sense to me, ok got to go watch Fight Night now, we are on a time delay here in the beautiful country of Iraq- MMA at 5:00 Am what more can you ask for…Enjoy the fights, maybe there will be a brawl :-)
"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
- General George Patton Jr -
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