UFC fighter Chris Leben arrested for DUI

[drunkguy]

UFC fighter Chris Leben arrested for DUI | MMAjunkie.com

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Apr 30, 2008 at 11:43 pm ET

Chris Leben, a UFC middleweight who recently signed to fight Michael Bisping at UFC 85, was arrested in Oregon on Wednesday for driving under the influence and was placed in jail for violation of his probation, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

As of late Wednesday evening, Leben remained behind bars.

A representative from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that Leben will go before a judge at 3 p.m. on Thursday. It was determined upon his booking that he was not eligible for bail because of the probation violation, according to the representative.

Leben (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), 27, most recently defeated Alessio Sakara in March at UFC 82. After Chuck Liddell was forced to pull out of a UFC 85 main-event bout with Rashad Evans, the UFC booked fights between Leben and Bisping, as well as Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves. The popular fighter found his way to the UFC via the first season of the UFC reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter."

There's no word how and if the arrest may impact his June 7 fight with Bisping, which takes place overseas in London, England.

[drunkguy]

this UFC 85 card is just completely jinxed

[TheVig]

UFC fighter arrested, believed to still be on PPV



by Dave Meltzer

Chris Leben, who was scheduled to face Michael Bisping in one of the major matches at the UFC 85 PPV in London on 6/7, turned himself in Clackamas County, Oregon last night for a DUI that he had an outstanding warrant on, resulting in a violation of his parole. He remained in jail at press time and was to go before a judge at 3 p.m. today.

He is not eligible for bail due to the probation violation.

According to a web post by T. Jay Thompson of Honolulu, who Leben works for teaching at the Icon gym, Leben turned himself in on an outstanding warrant to assure he could get a Visa for England and will remain on the show. He expects Leben will serve eight to ten days which takes him out of serious fight training.

UFC sources confirmed today they expect the fight to go on as scheduled and had been aware of Leben's issues for about a week.

[drunkguy]

Originally Posted by TheVig

He expects Leben will serve eight to ten days which takes him out of serious fight training.

you don;t want to be sitting in jail a month before a major fight


Leben's in for some trouble

[Oddessa]

it was an old warrant.....nothing fresh...he turned himself in so he could get a Visa to fight overseas..

Chris Leben was not just arrested this week for DUI.



from TJ Thompson....



Chris Leben was not arrested this week for DUI.

When Chris moved to Hawaii he was in the process of completing classes for his probation on an old DUI in Portland Oregon. We worked hard to get his probation transferred to Hawaii but were unsuccessful.

When he got the call to fight Bisping on June 7th in London he knew what he had to do.

He immediately flew to Oregon and turned himself in on the probation violation. The warrant was a "no bail" warrant so he will have to sit in jail for 8-10 days before he gets a hearing. The moment he appeared before the judge after turning himself in the warrant was revoked and he is able to get his VISA for London.

Chris is in excellent shape and will finish his training camp with the help of Matt Hume.

Chris has worked hard the past year to grow both physically, mentally and spiritually. The actions he took to make this fight happen in London show this growth. Chris would like everyone to know he accepts responsibility for his past actions and will face the consequences and continue forward on his journey.

[Oddessa]

...shit...didnt read Vigs reply when I posted..... I think the initial new site might have printed a retraction...

[Total Square]

real smart of him to wait until a month before the fight to clear things up.


im sure dana is just thrilled with this LOL

[drunkguy]

Chris Leben optimistic about making UFC 85 fight date | MMAjunkie.com

by Dann Stupp on May 01, 2008 at 6:21 pm ET

Assuming a May 8 hearing goes as planned, UFC middleweight fighter Chris Leben will leave Oregon's Clackamas County Jail, finish his UFC 85 preparations in Hawaii, and travel to London, England, to fight Michael Bisping on June 7.

Leben turned himself into authorities on Wednesday after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Leben faced a probation violation stemming from a 2005 arrest for DUI.

T. Jay Thompson, Leben's friend and employer, today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that he's already spoken to UFC president Dana White about the situation. Thompson said Leben "has the support of the organization" as he "continues doing the footwork to clean up his past."

MMAjunkie.com reported late Wednesday that Leben had been booked by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office for a probation violation stemming from a DUI arrest. However, though asked, a sheriff's department representative didn't clarify that the DUI offense was a three-year-old charge.

Thompson took to the online forums to clarify the situation and spoke to MMAjunkie.com about the changes the popular fighter has made over the past year.

Thompson first met Leben when MMA trainer Matt Hume recommended him for an instructing position at ICON Fitness and MMA Center in Hawaii. Thompson admits that he was skeptical about Leben, who didn't have the cleanest reputation, but decided to hire him anyway based on Hume's recommendation.

"In the last year, [Chris] has completely undone any worries I had about him being a good guy and a great teacher," he said. "He's never missed a class, and even more so, he's never been late. He cares about his job and his students. He continues to work on his personal growth and toward becoming a better person."

Thompson said the move to Hawaii helped provide Leben a clean start. However, when he tried to get his probation moved from Oregon to Hawaii -- something Thompson's lawyers told him shouldn't be a problem -- they were denied.

"The parole officer immediately wanted to play hard ball," Thompson said. "Chris made up his mind, and with guidance from me, he decided to come to Hawaii and take the job anyway."

The probation violation wasn't an issue as Leben fought in the U.S. However, after Chuck Liddell was forced out of a UFC 85 main event with a leg injury, the UFC approached Leben about fighting Michael Bisping at the London event.

Knowing the overseas event would require a visa, Leben sprung to action.

"He went to Oregon and turned himself in, but it was a no-bail warrant, so he will do eight to 10 days before the hearing," Thompson said. "At that point, the warrant was revoked... and the visa is being put together as we speak."

Thompson said Leben planned to work out to the best of his ability while behind bars and even determined that he could probably use his mattress as a punching bag. He said Leben has vowed to stay in fighting shape despite the setback.

Thompson and his lawyers are optimistic that Leben will receive a favorable ruling on May 8, though he realizes a jail term could be extended, putting the UFC 85 bout on jeopardy.

However, Thompson remains hopeful for a positive outcome and another step toward Leben's maturation process,

"It's been interesting for me to watch, seeing that I've been through a similar path," Thompson said. "I've been through what he has and probably more, but I didn't have to do it in publish fashion like Chris has to.

"But I don't expect him to stumble. Will this be the last time something stupid from his past or something new trips him up? Probably not. But I know he's willing to do the footwork, and I'm sure he'll get through it as a better person in the end."

[drunkguy]

Chris Leben issued jail time, UFC 85 bout scratched (updated) | MMAjunkie.com

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on May 08, 2008 at 8:16 pm ET

UFC middleweight Chris Leben today was sentenced to 35 days of jail time (and credited for eight days' time served) following last week's arrest for a probation violation, according to a representative from Oregon's Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

However, Leben's UFC 85 bout with Michael Bisping now appears unlikely to take place. The bout was set for the televised main card of the June 7 event.

MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) could not immediately reach Leben's employer and friend, T. Jay Thompson, for comment. UFC officials have yet to comment on the matter.

Leben turned himself over to Oregon authorities last week. Leben moved to Hawaii in 2007 to serve as an instructor at Thompson's ICON Fitness facility, but his request to transfer his probation (stemming from a 2005 DUI arrest) was denied. Thompson told MMAjunkie.com last week that Leben decided to take the job anyway since he felt Hawaii would provide him the "fresh start" he needed.

A bench warrant was ultimately issued, and when Leben was added to London's UFC 85 fight card, he knew that getting a visa would require a resolution to the situation.

He turned himself into authorities on April 30 and was sentenced today. Once the jail time is served, Leben will no longer be on probation.

Last week Thompson told MMAjunkie.com that he and Leben were optimistic that no additional jail time would be issued and that they'd make the UFC 85 fight date.

Leben (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), 27, most recently defeated Alessio Sakara in March at UFC 82. After Chuck Liddell was forced to pull out of a UFC 85 main-event bout with Rashad Evans, the UFC booked fights between Leben and Bisping, as well as Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves. The popular fighter found his way to the UFC via the first season of the UFC reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter."

(Update: According to Wrestling Observer, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has confirmed that the Leben-Bisping bout has officially been postponed.)

[drunkguy]

Originally Posted by Total Square

real smart of him to wait until a month before the fight to clear things up.

yea especially when you are doing 35 days in the clink


good work leben


knowing Dana, leben's UFC days may be over

[drunkguy]

Jason Day replaces Chris Leben at UFC 85 | MMAjunkie.com

by Dann Stupp on May 09, 2008 at 5:11 pm ET

Middleweight Jason Day (17-5 MMA, 1-0), who defeated Alan Belcher as a late replacement last month at UFC 83, will now replace Chris Leben and fight Michael Bisping (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at London's UFC 85.

The UFC today revealed the June 7 bout, which will remain on the televised main card of the pay-per-view event.

Leben was recently sentenced to 35 days in jail due to a probation violating stemming from a 2005 DUI arrest. He would have been released just two weeks before the event.

Leben had hoped to transfer his probation in 2007 after moving from Oregon to Hawaii for a teaching position at T. Jay Thompson's ICON Fitness facility. However, the request was denied, and a bench warrant was issued when Leben went ahead with the move. Leben, who voluntarily turned himself into Clackamas County Sheriff's Department early last week, was optimistic that he'd be released during his hearing on Thursday and granted his visa, but he was instead sentenced to further jail time.

In his place steps Day, who replaced an injured Patrick Cote and scored a first-round TKO upset or rising contender Belcher on April 19. He'll go for his sixth straight victory when he meets Bisping, who most recently defeated Charles McCarthy via first-round TKO at UFC 83.