Chris Leben Slated to Return at UFC 125 on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas
Rising middleweight Chris Leben is slated to return to action at UFC 125 on January 1 in Las Vegas after sitting out the second-half of 2010 following back-to-back wins over Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Leben (21-6) handed Simpson his first loss with the “Knockout of the Night” at June’s TUF 11 Finale, then stepped in for an injured Wanderlei Silva just two weeks later and scored “Fight of the Night” honors with a third-round submission of Akiyama at UFC 116.
Silva said at last month’s UFC Fan Expo that Leben would be the ‘perfect opponent’ for his next fight, but “The Axe Murderer” isn’t expected to return until February or March.
The UFC 125 fight card features Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera and could include middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen or lightweight champ Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard.
For the latest UFC 125 news and UFC 125 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Loading ...
Who would be a good opponent for the Crippler if Wand is still out?
Maybe Maia?
What about Alan Belcher or Michael Bisping.
Belcher is injured and Bisping is Fighting Sexiyamma
Palhares. he had a short fight, should be ready quickly
Maia or Munoz? He just dropped a split to Okami…
I like Munoz but i dont think he is in the same Teir as Leben right now. I mean, Munoz would have a really good chance of winning that fight, i just think it would be a step down for Leban Rankings wise
Munoz just lost, and Joe Silva doesn’t like to match guys on a winning streak with guys who just lost. Maia would be an intriguing matchup, and if something goes wrong with either Belfort or Okami (who was the first guy I thought of) at UFC 122, he might be able to step in there.
Well i think at this point, Leben is deserved of a top opponent. I think Maia would be a good matchup for him. Although I agree with Wand, that this is the perfect opponent to take step in and fight upon return, so I’d love to see the ufc let leben wait one more month or Wanderlei. And with Bisping already fighting Sexyama and already fighting Leben before, i don’t see them putting that match up together at this point. What about a fight with Marquardt? Is Leben deserving of that caliber at this point?
Leben’s fought both Bisping and Sexi-yama…could see a “part 2″ with the winner of their match I guess.
Wandy’s the perfect choice though, unfortunate that he’s out for so long.
I’m doubting there is any way the loser of Belfort – Okami would be ready to go again by the 1st of January…
Oh ****, I forgot about Marquardt !!! Great fight ! Do it !
Yeah that fight doesn’t go to the ground i don’t think. And with Marquardt being closer i think than Leben to a title shot, this to me looks like a good fight that the winner of this fight, fights the winner of the next fight with whomever in a contender fight.
It’s time. Marquardt vs. Leben. If this happens, Leben better train his ass off though
With Demian Maia slated to fight Kendall Grove in December the only real logical choice would almost have to be Marquardt. Its not like these two are all that far apart on the contention ladder. They’re both coming off big wins and have similar streaks going at this point. I say give Wanderlai Palhares and let these two fight for the #3 spot at the title. Kinda like JDS is behind Cain for his shot, let the Marquardt/Leben winner be behind the Belfort/Okami winner for the next shot. It would also give the rest of the middleweights time to sort out whose going to be the next big up and comer.
IMO Marquardt-Leben has Fight of the Night possibilities written all over it…
I to think that it should be Marquardt next for Leben. The timing is just right and it makes sense for both guys. If Marquardt can get by a really tough up and comer like Leben, then he should be one more big fight away from getting what he’s been after since Silva hit that switch on him. And for leben…if he can get past Marquardt, then it just proves that he is ready for the top three guys in the division.
I would love to see Belfort vs Leben. Just cause Leben is so hard to knock out. And he hits like a brick sh!t house and could catch Belfort in the second or third round. I don’t see anyone stopping Belfort in the first.
Gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out. Good luck to all the fighters.
Good call on Belfort-Leben, however with the firepower those 2 are packing they’d need a pair of ringside docs, maybe more…
;)
Yeah no sh!t..great call TQR and your also right about how interesting its going to be to see what Dana and Silva do with this big ball of talent amassing at the top of middleweight. MMA going into 2011 is looking better than ever, just WOW!
I think we’re sort of seeing at 185 what we saw at HW a year or two back.
Dana White and Joe Silva see a weak-ish division, and they go all-in to stock the shelves with promotable guys that can fight.
For a long time the 185 weightclass was Anderson Silva and all the guys he beat, or who had zero shot of beating him if they could even work their way into contention.
Now its all about Sonnen, if and when he can beat the BlackHouse off of Silva when they rematch, not to mention guys like Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping, Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia, Yushin Okami, and the resurgent Chris Leben.
A step behind them you have guys like Mark Munoz and Rousimar Palhares, who have future contender written all over them, and a step or two back from that you have a promotable guy [who Dana White loves putting out there] like Brian Stann trying to gain traction at a new weightclass.
And I know I’m probably forgetting talented guys, so apologies in advance to their supporters.
He11, even Jake Shields could make a go at 185 if things don’t go his way at 170.
Thats a lot of talent in a weightclass that was “officially” declared dead by Silva’s supporters a year back.
I have to believe that the champ looks over his shoulder at the growing angry and increasingly talented mob and mutters [in Portuguese], “I’m too old for this sh!t”…
;)
Yes, not to mention a couple of stretchers just in case!
Leben vs Marquardt
Wand Silva vs Winner of Bisping/Sexyama
Winners of those fights gets shot at title!!
that is unless Sonnen actually beats Silva, then this whole plan is messed up.
I think a lot of people’s plans will be “messed up” if Sonnen beats Silva…
;)
Maia is already fighting Kendall Grove…i think it will be Marquardt…but i prefer to see the Wand fight…
I think Leben would just get taken down by Palhares, and possibly Marquardt depending upon the gameplan he draws up. Leben’s perfect stylistic matchup would be Wanderlei, whether or not that happens, remains to be seen.
I don’t understand why wanderlei would want to fight leben, its a bad choice. Leben has KO power and can most likely take wanderleis shots for 3 rounds. Wanderlei has been knocked out cold several times and lebens left hand could be the cherry on his KO cakem