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Leben: 'I'll whack him once, then he'll be scared'
Since first arriving on the worldwide MMA scene, Chris “the Crippler” Leben has been alternately cast as a fan favorite for his brutal knockout power, and as a villain for his outspoken nature as well as a few outrageous actions during his season on The Ultimate Fighter.
Leben made news earlier this year when he was jailed for a probation violation and forced to pull out of a scheduled fight with Michael Bisping. Leben served 20 days in Clackamas County (Ore.) after turning himself in to authorities. His original arrest came in 2005; afterward, Leben moved to Hawaii and tried to have his probation transferred there, but was unsuccessful. Earlier this year, he turned himself in on the violation in hopes of satisfying his case and procuring a travel visa, but was instead ordered to jail.
The slugging southpaw says he’s matured, and apparently the UFC agrees. The organization granted him another shot at Bisping taking place on Oct. 18’s UFC 89. That'll take place in Bisping's backyard, Birmingham, England. Leben recently spoke to NBCSports.com about the big fight, being the bad guy, what it’s like to watch yourself getting KO'd and more.
MC: You’re stepping right into the fire. That crowd is going to be crazy for Bisping. How do you feel about that? Are you excited by that type of crowd or do you tune them out?
CL: It’s great for me, the pressure is on him to perform. He’s got the home court, he’s got his family. All I’ve got to do is just show up to fight the way I know how to. I’m fine with it. I don’t mind being the bad guy either. I’m just going to go over there and do my job.
MC: Bisping’s got great movement and fast hands, but you’ve never been afraid to take two shots to give one. How do you feel your power plays against his speed?
CL: It’s a great matchup. As far as standup, it’s a classic matchup of power vs. speed. He has good movement and semi-fast hands. We’ll see how that works out. He’ll probably hit me a couple times, I’ll whack him once, and then he’ll be scared the rest of the fight.
MC: So you think he hasn’t felt any power like yours?
CL: He’s been in there with some tough guys. I wouldn’t say all his fights have been easy ones. We know Rashad [Evans] hits hard. But in watching his fight with Rashad, he didn’t really connect against him. Rashad was really a wrestler then. As far as my power and standup capabilities, the answer would be no, I don’t think he’s fought anyone as technical and hard-hitting as me.
MC: You’re known for those heavy hands. What do you attribute your power to? Is there something that accounts for it?
CL: There are a couple things you can’t really teach. One is being able to take a shot, two is having that knockout power. You can teach a guy technique until you’re blue in face, and he’ll never have that knockout power. Other guys will throw the sloppiest punch ever, and people fall down. It’s just an ability you’re blessed with.
MC: How did you kind of find out that you hit really hard?
CL: In my earlier fights, I’d go out with a grappling game plan and look to submit my opponent. We’d get in an altercation, I’d throw my hands and he’d fall down, and next thing I knew the fight was over and we didn’t even go to the ground. After it happens a few times, you start to realize, ‘I must hit pretty hard, because these people keep falling down.’
MC: Is that power a trap sometimes?
CL: Yes. To some extent it’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes, I’ve relied on it too much thinking I’m going to knock a guy out and end the fight right now. You can’t play into that. You’ve got to plan for 15 grueling minutes, and if the knockout comes, that’s great.
MC: Most of the guys Bisping has faced in the UFC have primarily been grapplers. Do you think it gives you an advantage?
CL: I don’t think so. Bisping is well-rounded as well as I am. I’m sure in practice he trains standup and ground. I don’t think it’s a disadvantage or advantage.
MC: Is this the type of fight you want to turn into a brawl?
CL: To some extent, I wouldn’t mind turning it into a little bit of a brawl. You brawl a boxer, and box a brawler, that’s kind of the rule of thumb in standup. He’s a bit more technical, he doesn’t hit as hard. If I could force him to slug it out with me, he’s going to get hurt.
MC: What are your impressions of Bisping at 185? He’s had two pretty dominant wins since over Charles McCarthy and Jason Day.
CL: I think it was a great move. He always looked a bit small at 205 to me. He looks a lot leaner and better conditioned. That’s where he should be.
MC: You were originally supposed to fight him a while back, but that fight was scrapped due to some legal issues you had. How frustrating was that setback, and did you think you’d ever get the chance to fight him again?
CL: It was terribly frustrating. When I was first presented the opportunity to fight Bisping, I was super excited and stoked. Obviously it didn’t work out. It was a huge bummer and letdown. I didn’t think I’d have that opportunity, but the UFC came around and said they’d give me a second chance at Bisping. I was stoked. It made it that much more exciting.
MC: What was it like making that call to UFC to tell them you couldn’t fight him?
CL: It was tough. No one likes to miss out on a fight, let alone such a high-caliber fight. It wasn’t easy.
MC: When you were spending that time in jail, you have nothing but time to think. Did it start to drive you crazy thinking you had blown a golden opportunity?
CL: You can’t beat yourself up forever. I had a lot of time to think and reevalute things. I’ve made some mistakes in my life, but it furthered my belief that I need to focus on correcting and changing some things about who I am as a person so that would never happen again.
MC: What do you think about the chances of fighting Anderson Silva again? How do you think you’d match up or do differently a second time around?
CL: I like to hope they’re good. Nobody knows what turns the wheels backstage at the UFC, but I was the first one to fight Anderson in the UFC a few years ago. I’m a completely different fighter now.
MC: SpikeTV tends to show some highlight-reel moments on their shows repeatedly, and one of them happens to be when Anderson Silva knocked you out. Does that bother you to watch or do you simply use it for motivation?
CL: It used to get under my skin watching it over and over, but it’s the past. It’s water under the bridge. It’s the old Chris Leben, not the Chris of today. As far as I’m concerned, I made mistakes and he capitalized on them because he’s a great fighter. Lesson learned. I went back to the drawing board. Revamped my style, revamped my game. Time has elapsed, and now when I watch it, I feel like it’s a different person that happened to. The Chris Leben of today would respond differently in that situation.
MC: Why do you think Silva has been so difficult to solve for such an impressive list of fighters?
CL: First, he’s patient. He waits for an opening, and when he gets it, he capitalizes. Second, he follows up well, and third, he’s got pinpoint accuracy. Anyone who’s got good footwork, patience and accuracy is going to be hard to beat. I don’t think he’s a cyborg, I don’t think he’s the terminator. He’s a human being that just happens to be on a great run, and more power to him.
MC: What does it mean to you to be the main event of a big card like this?
CL: It’s huge. I’m in the main event of a big fight getting publicity. As far as my career goes, it’s a big step. Whoever wins gets catapulted to contention. Whoever loses gets kicked back down amongst the pack of 185ers. It’s a fight I really want to win, and I’ve gotta tell you, I’ve been training harder than I ever have in my entire life to do that.
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UFC 89: Leben vs. Bisping Discussion Thread
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