UFC 125: Will Chris Leben Continue His Roll in 2011?

When Chris Leben fought and lost only once in 2009, many observers thought his career in the UFC was coming to a close. Three wins later, including a fight of the year candidate with Yoshihiro Akiyama, Leben has jumped back into contender status in the UFC’s Middleweight division.

He will be entering the Octagon this Saturday opposite former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann, and will be looking to extend his win streak to four; something he hasn’t done since 2006. He went 1-1 in 2007, 1-1 in 2008 and 0-1 in 2009. In 2010, his win streak included victories over Akiyama, Aaron Simpson and Jay Silva, with fight of the night and knockout of the night bonuses for two of those fights.

For this fight, he will be fighting a respected opponent in Stann, who is a former Marine. Leben should be able to use his experience and granite chin to survive any attack Stann brings before getting a stoppage in the later rounds.

Depending on the gameplan Stann and Coach Greg Jackson have created, this fight could be fought to a close and competitive decision if he decides to keep away from brawling and fight a safety first fight, which isn’t a bad idea. Thirteen of Leben's 25 wins have come by knockout. Leben also has the advantage in the ground game, so it will be interesting wherever it goes. Either way, it should be an exciting stand-up battle from start to finish.

Leben’s fan-friendly style and anytime-anywhere personality have helped him obtain a large fanbase ever since his infamous stint on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. His fans and three wins in 2010 will carry him through 2011 whether he builds his win streak or loses it this weekend. What he has done in 2010, including fighting back-to-back two weeks apart, will not soon be forgotten. Fight fans just love to watch this guy because they appreciate his attitude towards fighting.

Not all has been going well for Leben outside the cage, as he has an upcoming court date for an October incident that left him being arrested and charged with DUI. This may have an impact on how the rest of the year plays out for him, because he is looking to coach on TUF against Wanderlei Silva, which could be one of the best seasons and fights in a while.

Leben brings just the right amount of charisma to the show to increase ratings and also has shown to be a successful coach. He is one of the main coaches at ICON Fitness MMA Gym in Oahu, Hawaii.

All the odds favor Chris Leben to beat Brian Stann this Saturday, but he will need to be focused on executing a solid gameplan because Stann will definitely have one. After this fight, hopefully Leben gets a date with Silva. That would be fireworks.