Chris Leben: Whom Can He Cripple Now?

UFC 89 has come and gone, and so has Chris Leben’s chances for ever getting a title shot. Whether you love or hate the reformed troublemaker, he will always be an entertaining & hard-hitting fighter. Because of this, he should continue to have a home inside the octagon. Provided he is able to win his next fight.

Leben may be relegated to a middleweight gatekeeper. The UFC will surely use him as a battle ground for up-and-comers looking to prove themselves. If he can market himself correctly, then he may get fights that can keep him relevant in the division. Let’s take a glance at some fights that could make sense for Leben and keep him competitive.

Chris Leben vs. Patrick Cote: Assuming Cote loses to Silva, he will need a fight to stop the bleeding. These two fought each other back in 2005 at UFC’s Ultimate Fight Night. Leben won a split decision. This would be a stand-up war with both fighters much improved from their last bout.

The winner of this fight would stay relevant while the loser would fall farther down the middleweight ladder.

Chris Leben vs. Nate Quarry: If Nate quarry gets a win over Demian Maia, he will be looking for a fight to help him crack the Top 10 of the division. A fight with Leben may be a good fight for him to take. If Nate won, he would need one more fight to get into the title picture. If Nate loses, this still might be a good fight and the two would let their hands fly.

Chris Leben vs. Kendall Grove: Kendall needs another fight now if he wants to stay relevant. He is outside the top 15 in the division after losing to Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera back to back. He got back on his feet after winning over Evan Tanner (RIP) by split decision. This would be a higher-profile fight between two TUF contestants and would help get either fighter back on track.

Chris Leben vs. Martin Kampmann: Kampmann is coming off a devastating loss, yet he  could still be considered a Top 10. Kampmann may decide to drop down to welterweight, which might be a good decision considering his smaller frame. If he does choose to stick around, this could be another stand-up war, where Leben feels right at home. However, last time Martin fought a slugger, Drew McFedries, he took the fight to the ground and won by submission.

Chris Leben vs. Jason “Dooms” Day: Chris could get some consolation by beating the man that Bisping beat last. Bisping beat Day via TKO at UFC 85. If Leben can’t beat a Brit, maybe he will fare better against the Canadian-born fighter. If the fight goes to the ground, Leben will have to watch out for the submission.

So, if you still care about “The Crippler,” then these are five fights that may keep him relevant in the division. While Chris may never get his shot at the title, he can still have a successful career in the octagon. He doesn’t have to win all his fights; he just has to stay entertaining and win at least one out of two.