Former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) middleweight champion Chris "The Crippler" Leben has come out of retirement to join Bellator MMA.
Leben was given a multi-year deal and now follows the footsteps of another former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter, Benson Henderson, to join the Scott Coker group.
The Crippler was 22–11 in the UFC prior to his retirement back in 2014 following a loss to Uriah Hall. He entered the UFC in 2005.
Leben has carved a name for himself during his prime, bringing a whole lot of excitement each time he set foot in the Octagon. He was part of the inaugural cast of "The Ultimate Fighter" alongside other Bellator MMA fighters like Stephan Bonnar and Josh Koscheck.
In the UFC, Leben went up against big names. That list includes Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, and Michael Bisping.
His last fight against Hall forced him to rethink his future, being the fourth one in his career. He eventually decided to step away and cited the losing streak and injuries as the reasons behind his move to quit.
Even though the development is not considered in the same magnitude with that of Henderson, he will first have to undergo physicals before everything is set in place. There is no word yet on when Leben will spring back to action, his first since stepping away in December 2013.
Coker is aware of what Leben brings to the table and his belief that the 35-year-old fighter is far from washed off seems to be the driving factor behind the signing.
It seems that the offer came at the right time, with Leben claiming did he did have the urge to fight once more, according to Yahoo Sports. Leben had been serving as a coach to Victory MMA and Fitness since 2014.
"I'm in great shape, I love the possible match-ups this roster has to offer and I'm ready to show the world why they call me 'The Crippler'," Leben said.
