(Photos:UFC.com) 

Chris Leben is one of the most colorful characters to come out of “The Ultimate Fighter” franchise. While some fighters have enjoyed immediate success following their stint on the show, Leben has been developing into a more mature and well rounded fighter in front of the world and with a respectable 7-3 record since his season on Spike TV.  A brawler at heart, Leben has made a real effort to round out his game while at the same time bringing stability to his personal life.  “The Crippler” relocated to Hawaii to train and coach full time and the benefits of the new lifestyle have been evident in his physique and his fighting style ever since.

As much as a man can change and develop though, when you have KO power like Leben, it’s hard not to fall back on it and hey… why not?  It works and the fans love a Knock-out!

With a fight against TUF 3 Light Heavyweight winner Michael Bisping in the works for UFC 89 on Oct 19th, in Birmingham, England - Leben will have another chance to showcase his power against a fighter who isn’t afraid to stand up and bang.  Bisping is hardly one dimensional, but his willingness to stand up with “The Crippler” should give a big advantage to Leben and his one punch, fight finishing left hand.  Jorge Rivera, Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara all found out the hard way that standing and trading shots with Leben is a recipe for disaster.

Leben acknowledged the challenges of the fight with Bisping on a recent Myspace blog entry;

I was kinda making a joke the other day when asked about my impression of the fight. I said, “He’ll probably hit me about 20 times, and then I’ll hit him once.” That might be how that fight goes.

In other words, he’s got great foot movement, his hands … he’s definitely faster than I am — I’ll go ahead and say it. He’s faster than I am; he’s got good foot movement, good head movement. But I don’t think he’s got the big guns like I do. I don’t think he’s got that huge knockout power.

Bottom line is, everybody’s hit me a lot of times in every fight I’ve ever been in. I think this fight against Michael Bisping, I’d be lying to you if I thought it was going to be any different. I’m going to go out there, he’s going to land some shots, I’m sure, and then I’m going to land a big shot that’s just going to crumble him.”

It may not be the most precise game-plan, but it certainly plays to Leben’s strengths.  You have to think that Bisping will look for the take-down and a submission victory at any opportunity, regardless of comments regarding his willingness to stand and strike.  As for the ground scenario, Leben has a similar approach in mind;

“Well if it goes to the ground and he’s on top, I’m going to work to stand back up. He likes to be standing and punching and working to pass, which is a great skill, a great way to pass guard I think in MMA. He was doing that well in his last fight, so I think I’ll work to stand back up.

If I take him down and I’m on top, I’ll look to pass guard, beat on him, and if he gives me a submission, I’ll take it; otherwise, I’ll just continue to punch him in the face.”

Despite the plan to power punch a victory in this fight, Chris is still looking to fight a smarter fight each time out.  It’s a fine line though and Leben always seems to err on the side of fan entertainment.  It is a fight after all and with Leben in the headline match against a home town hero, it could be a career defining match at that.

This is one that I am definitely looking forward to seeing… Check out the rest of Chris’s blog entries here.

UFC 85 “Bedlam” is fast approaching and on June 7th, the heavily injury plagued fight card will finally be executed in London, England.  The UFC had it’s work cut out for them with this card and although there is no title match in the event, there are a few significant fights in terms of contender rankings.
This card did not have me entirely excited at first but even through the pick and prediction process, has revealed itself as a much better line-up than you see at first glance.

Lets get on with the picks…

Main Event:
Matt Hughes Vs. Thiago Alves

Matt Hughes is a great fighter with a hall of fame career just waiting to be recognized once he retires.  A lot of people think that Matt is past his prime and after dropping back to back matches to GSP and then commenting on his own ability to compete in today’s MMA world, most people had written Hughes off.
Thiago Alves is a young gun looking and dreaming for the kind of success that Hughes has already experienced.  After stringing together a nice win streak including his most recent victory of the very tough Karo Parisyan, Alves has been granted the quickest route to the number 1 contender spot… and that is through Matt Hughes.

Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to MMA in Canada it appears that it makes sense to have connections. Those connections, with other high level competitors can be the difference between a good training session and a great one.  Two Canadian UFC fighters who are looking to support each other as far as training goes are Jason MacDonald and Jason Day.  Both fighters are native to Western Canada and are friends so MacDonald is working with Day to help him prepare for his fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 85 in London, England on June 7th.  In a recent blog entry on Sportsnet.ca, MacDonald referred to the friendship and the training arrangement.

Day is a late replacement for Chris Leben, who was forced to withdraw from the event despite taking all action possible to resolve outstanding legal issues preventing him from travelling to the UK.  Jason Day was tapped as the replacement, most likely due to his outstanding debut at UFC 83 on April 19th, where he stepped up as a late replacement for an injured Patrick Cote.  Day stepped into the Octagon for the first time and instead of showing “jitters” he displayed the skill and temperament of a seasoned fighter, dispatching the always dangerous Alan Belcher in less than 4 minutes by TKO.
The UFC management team seem to be grateful to fighters who step up to save fights for one reason or another by repaying them with great follow-up opportunities. Tim Boetsch is a perfect example and Day seems to be getting similar opportunites as a reward for being a team player.  

While Jason MacDonald is happy for Jason day’s success, he admits to some disappointment over Day landing the Bisping fight,

” I was actually hoping to get that fight as soon as I heard that Chris Leben was officially out last Thursday. Mark Pavelich (My manager) texted Joe Silva (UFC matchmaker) as soon as we heard. Silva texted him back immediately saying thanks for the offer but they had already found an opponent, and of course it was Jay.”

Perhas not being entirely impartial, MacDonald also mentioned that he believes Day has a good shot at winning this fight,

“I think Bisping is a wonderful fighter, but I’ve said it before that I believe he’s good, but overrated — especially in his own mind. I’ll be interested to see what Jay does with him. Jay is solid on the ground and we haven’t seen Bisping tested on the ground very much.”

To that point, I think we have seen Bisping in trouble on the ground a few times… once against Elvis Sinosic and then against Eric “Ravishing Red” Schafer(one of my favorite UFC personalities). 

It will be interesting to see if Jason Day can maximize the opportunity and pull out a win over the hometown hero and UFC star Bisping, and do it on British soil.   The partnership of Day and Jason MacDonald is good for the athletes and a near necessity for the two Western Canadian fighters who don’t train with big name camps.  It is a bit of a conflict though, as both are in the same division and they would actually make a decent future fight.  The question is whether or not each fighter would sign on for that bout given their professional association for training.  First things first though, Jason Day needs to get that win over Bisping and Jason MacDonald seems content to help him do exactly that.

Check out the rest of Jason MacDonald’s blog on Sportsnet. ca.

You can get more info on Jason Day at his personal site as well.

 (Photo: UFC.com)

Canadian MMA fighter Jason `Dooms` Day steps up again to fill in on short notice for the UFC.  As reported earlier, Chris Leben has some legal issues that look to be keeping him from making his previously scheduled bout against Michael Bisping at UFC 85 in London, England.  In a pinch for a Middleweight replacement to fight on short notice, Jason “Dooms” Day has agreed to make the trip across the pond for his sophomore appearance, taking advantage of a huge opportunity to get a step up in competition.

Day made his debut appearance in the Octagon at UFC 83, filling in for injured fellow Canadian Patrick `The Predator` Cote in a bout against the always dangerous Alan Belcher.  Many people weren’t giving Day a chance against Belcher, but Jason put on a rubber guard clinic followed by a crash course in ‘Dirty Boxing’ as he dominated Belcher and took an impressive first found victory by TKO in less than 4 minutes.

Jason Day was asked about next opponents after his impressive win and had mentioned Bisping as one of the fighters he would like to face on his way to the top of the division.  It is a great match-up and shows that Day is not looking for any easy road or a free ride in the UFC.  Day just wants the opportunity to show the calibre of competition that he can bring to the table.  This is a seasoned fighter that has made the right moves, coupled with the right type of performance to maximize his potential quickly in the UFC.

Day had returned quickly to his construction job in Lethbridge, Alberta following his April 19th victory over Belcher, but it looks like he will be putting the house building on hold in an effort to get his training going for the biggest fight of his career. Fans should be excited about this this fight, as both fighters bring a lot of energy to the Octagon, so entertainment value will definitely not be missing in this one.  Jason commented on the match-up in his UFC.com published announcement for the fight,

“He’s a great fighter, an exciting fighter, tough as nails, and everybody wants that marquee fight where you get the guy that tests you and you slug it out for two or three rounds. I think he’s a pretty good test for me.”

“If you take a look at me and Bisping, we’re both well-rounded fighters, both very well-conditioned, and we both have a reputation for being tough and durable.  I think this has Fight of The Night written all over it, and maybe even Fight of The Year”

 Bisping is certainly not taking Jason Day lightly either, commenting on Jason’s UFC 83 debut;

“You have to respect Jason Day for stepping in on even shorter notice than myself. I am looking forward to really putting on a great performance in London.” 

“Jason Day looked bloody dangerous in his fight with Belcher and I think this fight has exactly the same potential as the Leben fight to be a real war…”

 MMASPLATTER is a proud sponsor of Jason Day and believe this is a great match-up for the Canadian athlete.  A chance to compete against one of the most heavily promoted fighters in the UFC is a huge opportunity for Jason and can only help to promote the sport of MMA in Canada.

UFC 85 “Bedlam” is scheduled for June 7th at the O2 Arena in London, England.  

For more info on Jason Day, check out his personal site, jaydaymma.com

 (Photo:Chrisleben.com)

In an unfortunate turn of events, Chris Leben who is scheduled to face Michael Bisping on June 7th at UFC 85 in London, England, has been sentenced to serve time in jail for a parole violation. Leben was not apprehended or breaking the law in anyway(well technically I guess…) , but rather turned himself into authorities for a probation breach related to an old DUI charge. Leben was serving probation in Oregon for the charge when he left to focus on his training and MMA development in Hawaii.

MMAWeeklyreports that Leben was recently sentenced to 35 days in jail and his probation revoked after turning himself in to police.  The entire purpose for Chris to turn himself in, besides doing the right thing, was to ensure his ability to make the trip to England for his pending fight against “The Count”.  It seems that the plan isn’t working out quite as designed.  Leben will be released from jail only 2 weeks before the fight date, leaving little time to properly train. Obviously the trouble has been brought on Leben by his own poor choices in the past, but at least he is getting his act together, regardless of the motivation. 

Something tells me that Leben will be looking to fight either way.  He needs to get his Visa request in order to travel to England, and I’m not sure if that timing could be a problem, but other than some legal red tape, I can’t see him bowing out of the fight.  First of all the guy is hard headed as witnessed on The Ultimate Fighter reality series that was the source of Chris’ original public exposure.  On top of that, you don’t go to jail for a month to not get what you wanted in the first place.

Sparring partners could be an issue, but there is no reason that Chris couldn’t maintain a training regiment in jail.
In a pinch, a fight is probably only about 5 seconds away if he wants one, although that would not help his case either.

All joking aside, hopefully everything works out for Chris and he can fight at UFC 85 as advertised.  The fight against Bisping is a good match-up and the event has suffered a lot of card changes already.

I’m sure we will be hearing more on this story very soon…

Check out the entire MMAWeekly article.    

 (Photos: UFC.com/Sherdog.com)

 What do James Irvin, Rich Clementi and Michael Bisping have in common?  Not much … except for the fact that all 3 fighters are getting a chance to turn wins into increased opportunity with quick turnaround between fights.  Bispng is the latest fighter to get the quick call back, likely in an effort to build out the UFC 85 card which took a big hit with the departure of Chuck Liddell due to a hamstring injury.  Irvin was the fighter who actually stepped up to fill Chuck’s spot, but lacking star lustre, the UFC seems to be opting for their default British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping to pack in the fans for the recently shuffled UFC 85 card schedule for June 7th in London, England.

Bisping will be in for a bigger test in his sophomore effort at 185lbs, stepping into the Octagon with the very heavy handed, Chris “The Crippler” Leben in front of a home town crowd.  Bisping has made the physical transformation , dropping a weight class to maximize his potential in as an Elite MMA fighter while Leben has made lifestyle and mental changes to improve his game.  After dropping back to back fights against Canadians, Jason MacDonald and the now notorious Kalib Starnes, Leben has found new focus and has reaped the rewards with big wins over Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara. 

It will be interesting to see what game-plan Bisping brings to the fight.  Although Leben has shown constant improvement he is likely still  less well rounded than Bisping, but is the advantage enough to outweigh the killer power that Leben wields?  My betting money would say that Bisping won’t be able to take many lefts from Leben, so he will need to take “The Crippler” down early and try to work his Jiu Jitsu for a win.  With an 8-3 record in the UFC, Leben is certainly no joke and he is a decent step up for Bisping’s second Middleweight fight. 

It’s another day at the office for Bisping as the UFC’s British “poster boy” for the organization, stepping up to sell the sport of MMA to the British masses.  It’s not an easy fight to call, and Bisping looked good in his last fight against an outmatched Charles McCarthy in his last outing.  It really will depend on who can take the fight to their strength position and execute their game-plan. 

(Photo:Sherdog.com)

Chris “The Crippler” Leben recently posted an update on his MySpace page indicating that he is actively engaged with UFC match maker Joe Silva to line up his next fight.  Leben seems to have found a new level of dedication to training and becoming a complete Mixed Martial Arts fighter since relocating to Hawaii.   He is currently on a 2 fight win streak, notching entertaining victories over heavy handed opponents Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara.

It would be interesting to see Chris test himself against guys that aren’t just going to stand and bang with him and that seems to be his plan as well.  In the same journal entry, Leben indicated that he is looking to build that win streak and take on some increasingly challenging competition,

“If you win 4 or 5 fights in a row, you’re pretty much guaranteed a title shot, so I figured maybe Okami or Bisping would be a fun fight for me.”

Either option would be a solid test for Leben.  Okami has proven to be an immovable object in the Middleweight division for all except Rich Franklin, while Bisping looked solid in his blowout debut at 185lbs against Charles McCarthy. No matter who it is, the fight will certainly be an entertaining one as Leben shows up ready, willing and able every time.

Check out Chris’ MySpace page.

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In a recent post by Sam Caplan at Fiveouncesofpain.com, it appears that the UFC has announced it’s decision to suspend Renato “Babalu” Sobral’s current contract.? The news is fallout from Babalu’s most recent fight on Aug. 25th (UFC 74) where he admitted to intentionally holding a choke on his opponent David Heath after he knew the fighter had tapped.

Criticism regarding Sobral’s actions was widespread in the media and among fighters, so it is no surprise that the UFC would take some action in addition to the cash penalty imposed by the NSAC while the fight was under review.? This is not the first time that a fighter has held a choke longer than what seemed appropriate, or that a fighter was struck several times after clearly losing consciousness… but it is the first time that a fighter has made the mistake of admitting intention in the aftermath.

?The post continues to state that the UFC was not washing their hands of Sobral forever, which is probably a good move, as he is, in my opinion, a talented fighter who simply made a (really) bad decision.? Hopefully this public ostracising will lead to a period of intense introspection and new found focus for Babalu…. or at the very least, let’s hope he learns how to tell a lie.