"I'm extremely happy. Aaron was definitely a worthy and tough competitor. He's a world-class wrestler and an undefeated fighter -- he's got some wins over some big guys. This is a big win for me. It definitely moves me up and establishes that I'm a force in the UFC. And I'm not going anywhere! [Simpson] had some heavy hands. He actually hit me and had me buzzing. But I hung in there and we capitalized. I thought the ref would have jumped in earlier, but he managed to survive, and then he stumbled and fell back completely so it was a good stoppage. A couple of more big guys and I think I'm right up there in the mix. Absolutely."
-- Power-punching Chris Leben, fresh of a technical knockout win over the previously undefeated Aaron Simpson last night at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale, feels as though he's once again close to threatening the top tier fighters in the middleweight division. "The Crippler" has strung together two straight wins after suffering back-to-back defeats, as well as a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. The colorful brawler has always had an up-and-down career, often derailing it himself with his actions outside the cage. Can Leben keep it together long enough to make a sustained run in the 185-pound class or will he once again prove to be his own worst enemy?
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