Leben: ‘This Is Huge for Me’

It was a shocker for Chris Leben when he returned to Hawaii fresh off an upset win over previously undefeated wrestler Aaron Simpson. He had a call from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva with an offer in hand to take on Yoshihiro Akiyama less than two weeks later at UFC 116.

“The Crippler” didn’t need much time to accept the offer, and after his second come-from-behind upset in as many weeks, it is looking like one of the best moves of his career.

The popular veteran of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” banked back-to-back post-fight bonuses on his way right back into the thick of the promotion’s middleweight division.

After his stunning late submission, Leben reflected on the whirlwind that was the past 14 days as well as his rocky road back to prominence after battling alcohol and a steroid suspension.

“[I’m] overwhelmed,” said the soon-to-be 30-year-old. “You know, it’s been a long road and a somewhat bumpy one for me, and this is just huge for me. My career and my life are in better places than they’ve ever been.”

Leben, who took home a knockout bonus against Simpson, banked one of two Fight of the Night bonuses Saturday and pocketed $75,000 in addition to his contracted salary. He earned it for a back-and-forth slugfest with Akiyama that had the crowd roaring its appreciation throughout the nearly 15-minute affair.

The former Team Quest standout was not sure about how the fight was being seen through the eyes of the judges and felt he was probably behind as the last 30 seconds ticked off the clock in the final round.

“Probably not,” said Leben when asked if he thought he was winning the fight, “because the UFC really scores high on those takedowns and I feel like I was probably out-striking him from the bottom … and it’s hard telling what these judges are going to do. I thought I was outworking him, but I couldn’t tell you. I think, maybe because he had the takedowns, he might have been up on me.”

Contrary to popular belief, according to Leben anyway, he is a thinking man’s fighter and he was plotting his strategy based on Akiyama’s reaction to his earlier tactics.

“I do think a lot when I’m fighting, believe it or not,” he said. “When I went for the armbar attempt and after that I realized, I said, ‘You know what? He’s letting me walk my legs up and leave them up there. He’s going to let me triangle him.’ So that’s when I decided I was going to go for the submission as opposed to just work to stand up.”

A very happy Leben, wearing a smile from ear to ear, explained why the past two weeks have meant so much to him.

“I’ve said it before. I’m more than just a fighter. I’m a martial artist,” he said. “I’m a coach; I have a gym; I have a team … and martial arts is my life. MMA is my life. I love watching people grow, and for me it’s different. It’s not about proving that I’m tough anymore. Now it’s about inspiring the guys at my gym, the people I train with.

“You guys know I’ve f--ked up before, but I’m trying to walk the line.”