The UFC Is Not a Charitable Organization: Chris Leben Must Go

The UFC is not a charitable organization.

While I'm sure that the UFC brings a certain amount of joy to millions of people, most notably the millions of fans, the UFC is for the most part a business.

Apparently, some other people disagree.

A recent article by Cagewriter editor Steve Cofield talks about the recent problems of Chris Leben, and goes on to say:

"Here's hoping they don't axe him because if he's struggling with some of the demons of the past it might be the worst time ever for UFC to dump him."

For those less familiar to the situation, let us briefly look back on the UFC career of Chris Leben up to this point.

Chris Leben began his UFC career in the TUF 1 house by being a rowdy drunk, and by urinating on another housemate's bed.

He stated afterward that he was so embarrassed by the incident that he quit drinking.

However, a few years later he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol.  So much for giving up drinking.

Driving under the influence is inexcusable in my opinion, as it endangers not only one's self, but also anybody who might be in the person's path.  Too many people have been killed by drunk drivers for me to not care about this.

Nevertheless, the UFC still gave Chris Leben another chance, as his brawling style was popular with the fans.

After he had served his jail sentence for the DUI, Leben fought Michael Bisping in the U.K. and tested positive for steroids.

Still the UFC forgave Leben and gave him another shot against Jake Rosholt.

The latest story is that in the last days before the fight, the betting line swung from Leben being a 2-1 favorite, to Jake Rosholt having even odds.

Kevin Iole stated in a radio interview that a fighter informed him that he had placed a large bet on Jake Rosholt because he had inside information that Chris Leben had hardly trained at all for the fight.

Of course, this story is still somewhat speculation, but the evidence available doesn't look good for Leben, especially considering his history.

So here we have a fighter who has twice had problems with alcohol, been convicted of a DUI, been caught using steroids, and now is no longer even taking his training seriously.

By his talent, Chris Leben is almost an ideal gatekeeper. He has heavy enough hands that he can threaten newcomers without good boxing fundamentals, and his wrestling and ground skills are enough to provide a significant problem for fighters who aren't adept at the grappling game.

Furthermore, his brawling style has resulted in some exciting fights and spectacular finishes.

Those two aspects should not be enough to keep Leben in the UFC.

If Leben is no longer taking his training seriously, he now doesn't even adequately fulfill the role of a gatekeeper. With the continuing growth of the sport, there will be many other fighters willing and able to take up Leben's role.

Furthermore, while there are some who believe that his actions only reflect badly on himself, I believe that the UFC's continued tolerance of Leben's actions reflects badly on the UFC as well as mixed martial arts.