UFC 138 Results: Chris Leben Needs to Adapt to Survive in the UFC

Although he might have put on a good performance, Chris Leben suffered another setback in his quest to challenge for the UFC middleweight title. 

After enduring two hard fought rounds in the main event against Mark Munoz at UFC 138, a doctor's stoppage forced "The Crippler" out of the bout after he was complaining about a cut he received above his eye. The decision was met with a resounding number of jeers from fans in attendance, and it was a lackluster conclusion to what was an eventful main card overall. 

While Leben was effective throughout the beginning of the opening round, it became apparent that he was clearly overmatched by the skillful, stronger wrestler in Munoz. The NCAA Division I wrestler continued to have his way with Leben as he took him down repeatedly and controlled him from top position. 

While Leben did put on a strong performance, there are still holes in his game that he does need to improve on. His cardio was one of his biggest weaknesses as the fight wore on. Leben continuously looked for a submission, but he wasted a lot of energy in doing so, causing his strikes to hold less power.

He did show good scrambling technique, however, he demonstrated an inability to properly defend off of his back. Leben also displayed poor wrestling defense throughout the bout as well. 

He might still remain as one of the top competitors at 185 pounds, but Leben's bout against Munoz indicated that he has not progressed overall as a mixed martial artist, often abandoning it for his brawl-like style.

If he intends on still making a legitimate run to the middleweight crown, Leben will certainly have to fix the present holes in his game that are preventing him from competing against some of the division's elite fighters. 

Once he is able to properly reassess his overall game and fix the glaring weaknesses, Leben can then begin to establish himself as a contender.