The Ultimate Fighter

[starvenger 0]

The guy is one diminsional and you can see that he does not know what to do when his opponets can take a beating like a man.

I'd know I'd do if my opponent could take a serious beating, but I think kicking the guy in the balls is illegal in MMA...

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

SPOILER

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITS ABOUT THAT SAME STUPID PICTURE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding the picture, not only is Bobby in it but Koscheck is beside him. In a blue shirt. THAT FUCKING PICTURE IS BROUGHT UP AS A SPOILER EVERY FUCKING WEEK BUT NOW IT MAKES PERFECT FUCKING SENSE AND CAN BE USED AS AN ACTUAL SPOILER GODDAMNIT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPOILER END

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

In the UFC, as a favoured fighter, Leben has to lose at least 4 fights in order to not fight in the UFC anymore.

[starvenger 0]

Help me out - did these fights actually count? Leben's record coming into the fight was 15-1, and I forget if he was 15-0 or not going into the Koscheck fight...

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

No these are Amateur I think. I know that Chris lost to Joe Doerksen outside of this competition, so I believe that these don't count.

 

Rudo; switch Leben with Baroni and you have yourself a match. A loudmouth striker who is overly emotional, and I like Baroni.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I figured Leben was going to lose after Round 1. I figured something like that was going to happen or he was going to punch himself out and get KOed towards the end of Round 2.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Diego's in the pic too isn't he? I thought the pic was Bobby, Diego, and Josh

[Vyce 0]

Wait, I've just been reading the thread - is Leben gone again?

 

If so, I can end my boycott and resume watching.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Leben was beating the piss out of Kenny, but got caught with a perfect elbow smash to the brow and got bloodied too badly Doctor stoppage, Chris is out.

[starvenger 0]

Wait, I've just been reading the thread - is Leben gone again?

 

If so, I can end my boycott and resume watching.

Leben's gone, but Bobby Southworth's back. Maybe. They don't know, because it's all dependent on whether KaneForrest's cut heals or not...

[Guest Big_Jay101]

SPOILER...I think

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nate Quarry is suppose to get a chance to earn the UFC contract at the finale on April 9th, he has fully recovered. Everyone on the show will compete even the two who did not fight to get eliminated. The main event is Ken Shamrock fighting his last UFC fight under his current contract. I forgot the name of the guy but it was on an MMA site I saw.

[Lei Tong 0]

Wait, I've just been reading the thread - is Leben gone again?

 

If so, I can end my boycott and resume watching.

Well, be forewarned that at least the first 5 minutes of next week's show is going to be devoted to a Leben emotional breakdown.

[AmericanDragon 0]

The main event is Ken Shamrock fighting his last UFC fight under his current contract. I forgot the name of the guy but it was on an MMA site I saw.

He's fighting Rich "Jim Carrey" Franklin.

[Vyce 0]

Wait, I've just been reading the thread - is Leben gone again?

 

If so, I can end my boycott and resume watching.

Well, be forewarned that at least the first 5 minutes of next week's show is going to be devoted to a Leben emotional breakdown.

Oh, is the little pussy going to cry about his SECOND loss? Seriously, just sew up your fucking vagina.

 

Sad thing is, I don't despise Leben so much as I do Dana White for trying to give the little shit a god push.

[starvenger 0]

To be fair though, the first five minutes is always a breakdown of the previous fight. And I'd be pissed too if I lost due to medical stoppage.

[Styles 0]

Diego's in the pic too isn't he? I thought the pic was Bobby, Diego, and Josh

Yup. That pic had Bobby, Diego and Josh. So really it doesn't spoil anything. I guess all along we were making our own spoilers out of that pic which really meant nothing...

[the pinjockey 0]

MMAweekly.com is reporting three of the fights going on before the finale airs (two finals, Shamrock/Franklin):

 

Nate Quarry vs. Lodune Sincaid

Chris Leben vs. Jason Thacker

Josh Rafferty vs. Alex Karalexis

 

Apparently there will be three more fights involving eliminated fighters, but they have not been announced yet as we'll assume some participants have not been eliminated yet.

[AmericanDragon 0]

I hope Thacker knocks Leben out and pisses in his mouth.

[starvenger 0]

Nate Quarry vs. Lodune Sincaid

Chris Leben vs. Jason Thacker

Wait, aren't these guys in different weight classes?

 

Anyways, based on those 2 matches we'll get Koschek/Diego vs kickboxer guy, Alex Schonauer vs Mike/Stephan and some combination of Forrest/Bobby/Sam...

[AmericanDragon 0]

Lodune and Thacker are dropping weight. The only real light heavyweights on the show are Bobby, Forrest, and Bonnar. The rest are just blown up 185-195lb fighters.

[starvenger 0]

Lodune and Thacker are dropping weight. The only real light heavyweights on the show are Bobby, Forrest, and Bonnar. The rest are just blown up 185-195lb fighters.

Ah, I see. So they're, um, whatever the class is between MW and LHW then?

[AmericanDragon 0]

195 walking weight is probably the worst weight to be at in mma. They're all stuck between the 185 and 205 weight division. There's really no official division for it, which is why fighters like Sakuraba, Henderson, and Kondo usually fight 210lb+ fighters who cut down to 205.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Interview with Leben, ripped from Observer.

 

http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com/wo/news/...t.asp?aID=12783

 

Note: The UFC released that Chris Leben will be fighting Jason Thacker

on April 9 during the

"The Ultimate Fighter" finale, shortly after this interview was

conducted.

 

 

 

Ever since the debut of "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV, the name

circulating around the Mixed Martial Arts community has been Chris

Leben. Equally loved and despised, Leben's controversial personality has

proven to be a television ratings draw. Over 2 million viewers tuned in

for his much anticipated grudge match against Josh Koscheck, making it

the most watched fight in UFC history. Leben, a 24 year old native of

Portland, Oregon, has opened alot of eyes to the fact that MMA is indeed

a character driven sport.

 

 

 

Leben seems to have a firm grasp on his new found fame. "People notice

me a little bit more. I still have the same friends. I'm not trying to

make new friends or play off my popularity. I get free beer more but

other than that, not much has changed for me." How did this journey

begin for him? "At first I heard about the show from a couple of guys

who saw something about it online. So I asked Randy (Couture) and he

said that he might end up being one of the host and that I should send

in a video tape. I got someone to to help me make a highlight video and

I sent it in to them."

 

 

 

Chris is a member of the famous Team Quest fight team. He was not the

only member of the team to be represented on the show. Randy Couture was

made one of the two head coaches and Nate Quarry competed along side him

for the prize of a UFC contract. "We all got on the same team but I was

ready if I had to end up competing against them. That possibility ran

through my head."

 

 

 

During the first week of training, Leben found himself on the cutting

block due to his behavior while drinking and interacting with the other

fighters. "I was a little worried. Randy doesn't stand for alot of

bullshit so it did run through my mind." When Coach Couture chose to cut

Chris Sanford instead, many felt favoritism may have come into play. "I

think Randy was tougher on me and Nate if anything rather than being

bias. In all actuality, comparing me to Chris Sanford and why he got cut

instead of me is a joke. A fool can see I deserved to be there alot more

than he did. He came in out of shape and was slacking through every

workout. I was there training and pushing it hard. No one can say I

wasn't doing that."

 

 

 

Upon entering the competition, Chris was already sizing the fighters up.

"I knew Koscheck and Diego Sanchez were going to be tough. I think alot

of the guys in the house are ready to be in the UFC. Myself, Nate,

Diego, Forest, Stephen, Bobby, Swick. Alot of those guys are top skilled

fighters who have made their mark in the world of MMA. They just haven't

been signed to a big show." As far as his thoughts on Josh Koscheck

in the beginning "I challenged him first because I just didn't like him.

Right away, I didn't like his attitude. I did not think that he had made

that big of a mark in MMA to be acting as tough as he was." One fighter

who Leben appeared to go out of his way to haze was Jason Thacker. When

asked in particular about the bed spritzing incident, he said "I had

nothing against Jason. Alot of that was me joking around and was

supposed to be in good fun. Alot of it was me being a little tipsy as

well."

 

 

 

During the course of the show, Leben ended up on the loosing end of two

highly debated fights. His first loss was by judges decision to Josh

Koscheck. "I think if it went to a 3rd round, I would have beat him. I

don't think he beat me in that fight. He out wrestled me. I kind of

fault the judges. If they want to see someone like that in the UFC, if

that's the kind of fighter they want to have, then we'll see how many

people tune in to watch the show when they have two guys wrestling going

at it. I wanted to get in there to fight. He did not want to fight me.

He just wanted to lay on top of me."

 

 

 

We all know by now the story surrounding the problems Leben has had with

Koscheck and Bobby Southworth. Rumors were going around that Randy

Couture may not be too fond of either one as as well. "I don't think

Randy has bad blood with anybody. I can tell you that I don't like

either one of them. I can't speak for Randy but I'm glad I don't have to

listen to Bobby whining all the time or Josh's squeaky voice either."

 

 

 

Koscheck and Southworth along with Mike Swick are all affiliated with

the American Kickboxing Academy. Leben handed Swick his only career loss

by knocking him out in a fight last year. During the show, Swick had

said he wanted a rematch in order to avenge the loss. "I like Mike

Swick. He and Alex Schoenauer actually came up and trained with us a few

months after the show and we got along real well. At first we got into

that little spat but after we got that out of the way, we got along just

fine. Would I fight him? Yeah, if the money was right. We are

professionals that get paid to fight and that's what we do. I wouldn't

say I would like to fight him. I am not gunning for him. I have no

reason to be."

 

 

 

After his elimination loss to Koscheck, Chris was given a second chance

in the competition when Nate Quarry's injured ankle caused him to

withdrawal. He suddenly found himself in the semifinals facing off

against Kenny Florian. Chris was the heavy favorite going in and

appeared to be well on his way to victory. Near the end of the 2nd round

though, Florian caught him with an elbow which opened up a cut over his

eye and causing the fight to be medically stopped. "Kenny definitely

surprised me. I looked at him as being a smaller jiu jitsu guy. Just

looking at him, he doesn't look like a real tough individual. Obviously

by watching our fight and seeing some of the shots I hit him with and

how he weathered the storm and fought through that was very impressive.

I would not have done anything different in that fight though. I do not

see where I did too much wrong. The majority of the fight looked like a

highlight real for me. Kenny did real good at staying in there but I did

one small mistake by letting him get a inside bicep tie up on me when in

the clinch. There are so many elements in Mixed Martial Arts where one

small little detail can change the whole outcome of a fight and that's

what happened."

 

 

 

How does Leben compare his two opponents from the show along side some

of the other tough fighters he has faced such as UFC veterans Joe

Doerkson & Benji Radach?

"Koscheck did not have the skills to hurt me. I wasn't afraid of that at

all. He didn't do any damage to me and I knew he wouldn't be able to. He

is a great wrestler but sooner or later I would have caught him. Kenny

is a tough guy but I have definitely been in there with guys who were

equally as skilled along with being bigger and stronger. I felt like I

was doing real good against him until I got caught with that elbow."

 

 

 

If given the choice, would he have picked Florian as his semifinal

opponent or would Koscheck or Diego been chosen? "I really wanted to

fight Diego Sanchez. I like Diego but I thought that would be a good win

for me to have since he did so good on the show and won those couple of

fights but at the same time my pride would have made me fight Josh. I

think I would have had to right that wrong. I know that I am the better

fighter and it was a bullshit decision. I think I would have picked

Josh."

 

 

 

Has Dana White acknowledged the fact that Leben is a strong ratings draw

and will that open the door for him into the UFC? "I think they knew

that I was a big part of the ratings success. Alot of people tuned in to

watch what I was going to do next, to see if I was going to do something

crazy or whatever. So I definitely say they have acknowledged that. I

hope some doors will be open because if they want me on their PPV, that

means I can make more money and in the long run I think it would make

everyone more money."

 

 

 

If Chris were to be offered a spot on an upcoming PPV, who would be his

dream opponent at this stage in his career? "Oh man, there are so many

guys out there who I would like to fight. One would be Joe "Diesel"

Riggs. I don't think it would be an easy fight but I think our styles

and the way we matchup would prove to be an explosive fight?"

 

 

 

How does Chris respond to the personality comparisons made between

himself and Tito Ortiz? "I don't know. Maybe I haven't followed Tito's

story all that much. I have met him before and he seemed like a nice

enough guy. I don't know what's so bad about him. I don't know exactly

what he does. I mean, if I win a fight I am not going to jump on top of

the cage and say that I am the greatest in the world or anything along

those lines. I might get a little wreckless and have some fun but I

don't know if that is the same as what he does in any way."

 

 

 

Evan Tanner is the current UFC Middleweight Champion. Leben and Tanner

used to be teammates. "I don't really know why Evan and Team Quest

parted ways. The best I can tell was that it had something to do with

contract issues. I know they still talk. I saw him the other day. I

think it was more business reasons than anything." Leben was very honest

when asked if he felt ready to challenge Tanner for the title. "No! You

know he is the world champ where I have been training as a pro for just

a little over three years. That is the stage where I am at right now.

Evan has probably beat me up over a thousand times. That is why I am the

fighter I am today. Because of people like Evan Tanner and Matt Lindland

who have worked with me. I would like to fight some guys who are lower

on the totem pole before I challenge for a UFC title."

 

 

 

Finally, I asked for his predictions concerning some upcoming fights. He

picked Ken Shamrock over Rich Franklin so Kenny now leads 2-1 in the TUF

interview series. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg? "I know Hughes beat him

last time with a choke. I dont know why Trigg tried to take him down in

that fight. I am going with Trigg though. I know he is the underdog but

I think he can do it." Last but not least, Randy Couture vs. Chuck

Liddell?

"That's an easy one. Randy is looking ridiculously tough right now.

Nobody is stopping him."

 

 

 

Here is a funny story to close things out. I asked Chris how he felt

fellow team member, Heath Simms would fare in his upcoming figh? "What?

Do I care? I hope they both lose!" Leben replied. Did I hear this right?

Is there dissension in the ranks of Team Quest? I better ask him again

as a responsible journalist. "You two are teammates, right?" I asked.

"Oh, you said Heath Simms? I thought you said WES SIMMS!!!" Come on

Leben, give me some credit! Everybody knows what the outcome of any

match involving Wes "The Project" Simms would be.

 

 

 

I would like to thank Chris Leben (www.chrisleben.com), Dave Meltzer,

David Schwarz, Spike TV, and everyone who emailed me questions this

week. I am sorry if I did not get to ask some of your questions. The

volume of email was huge when I announced that I would be interviewing

Leben. If it were Wes Simms, I could have fit them all in but "The Cat

Smasher" is just on a whole other level! I will be back next week with

The Ultimate Fighter Report and then a few days later, I guess I will be

interviewing either Diego Sanchez or Josh Koscheck. You can email

questions to [email protected].

[Youth N Asia 0]

I wanna see Diego smack the hell out of Koscheck tonight. Josh seems to be a pretty good wrestler, but he didn't really look good in beating Leben.

 

And I wonder if Kenny gets to stay in the house still now that he's in the finals.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Forrest is fantastic. Like, give him his own sitcom.

[AmericanDragon 0]

I could never imagine Forrest as a cop.

[Guest Deft]

Diego MUST crush Koscheck

[the pinjockey 0]

Shit, if the fight is starting already I smell some more Koscheck lay and pray coming.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Really good takedown (set up) by Koscheck. Nice recovery by Deigo. If Deigo worked some liver kicks, maybe set up a high kick, it would help lots. Some reeeeeeeeeally nice takedown defense by Deigo. Impressive.

 

FUCK YEAH! BUSINESS has just PICKED UP!

 

I have it Sanchez 10, Koscheck 9

 

Sanchez got, what, 3 submissions on Koscheck, 2 solid ones. Koscheck got some takedowns, but Deigo defended them well and turned some into submissions. Deigo also hit Koscheck with better shots standing. Koscheck has been a little more aggressive, but it really hasn't made a big difference.

[AmericanDragon 0]

Ganyao needs to run in there with a steel chair.