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The Chris Leben Guide to Life Behind Bars
The News - Mixed Martial Arts  |   Written by Adam Samons   |   Thursday, 19 June 2008
You may remember that Chris Leben had to miss his scheduled fight with Michael Bisping at UFC 85 after turning himself in for a violation of probation. If you're like me and wonder what life would be like for a professional fighter behind bars we now have our answer. Yesterday Leben sat down with MMAWeekly.com and discussed his time in jail.

"You’d think that being a professional fighter might paint a target on his back, but Leben encountered more curiosity from his fellow inmates than anything else. They wanted him to show them some moves. Happy to oblige, he once demonstrated a choke on an inmate while 20 others watched.

“I told the guys it’s a blood choke, so you don’t have to squeeze hard,” he said. “So I was just kind of choking him with one arm while he’s standing up. And I told him just tap when you start to feel like you’re going to pass out. Well, he didn’t tap, and at the time I’m going wow, this guy’s pretty tough, I’m surprised he hasn’t tapped yet. He just drops to the floor in the cell.

“Now I’m standing there with 20 prisoners around and they’re freaking out. This guy’s laying there, snoring like crazy. I’m like ‘it’s all right, it’s all right,’ then I realize they have cameras in here. I’ve just choked this guy out in jail – I could get in trouble for this. I kept telling them, ‘he’s fine, he’s fine,’ and it took this guy a minute to wake up. Finally he woke up and we had a laugh, and luckily I didn’t get in any trouble for it. That was beginning and the ending of my inmate coaching career.”

Perhaps this is what separates my mindset from the mindset of a pro fighter. If I'm ever in jail, surounded by inmates of all sorts, the last thing I would do is train them on how to be even more dangerous to me.
Views: 593

Comments (2)
Posted by: JAKE at 06-20-2008 00:51
Hey you got to do what you got to do to make friends! It's better then haveing the 20 inmates run train on your ass! 
 
BTR should try and book him on the show to share his story?

Posted by: Adam Samons at 06-20-2008 12:35
Good point. I think Leben would have made a great character on the show Oz.

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