(“St-Pierre it is, then.”)

Dana White spoke with Brazilian website Alpha recently, and according to the UFC president, in spite of middleweight Anderson Silva’s recent re-assertion that he isn’t interested in a fight with light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, the fight may happen before “The Spider” calls it a career.

“He’s probably the greatest fighter in history. He hasn’t lost and has been champion since 2006. I think he has two more title defenses and I do not know what he’ll do next or if he will retire,” he said. “He could end his career with a super fight against Jon Jones or George St-Pierre. He could end his career like that — fight in a different weight class. I would be happy with that. Then he could take a boat and sail into the sunset.”

Although he doesn’t think Jones’ youth would play a major factor in the fight, “The Baldfather” says Father Time and his effect on fighting skills is one of the leading causes of retirement in the sport, even amongst the sport’s best.

(“I appreciate the recognition, but really, this award belongs to CagePotato. Get up here, guys.”)

By Jason Moles

This time last year, I gave you a list of predictions that really created a stir. I boasted that the UFC would host an event in Mexico and be legalized in New York. Man, was I ever wrong about that. I apologize. But I also said that Dana White would coin a new phrase, land a network TV deal and that a famous athlete would cross over into the world of mixed martial arts. Not bad, eh? 2012 is quickly approaching so get the champagne on ice and let’s get to those wild predictions…

1. FOX will reprimand Dana White for his inevitable off-handed comments.

“Faggot“, “f*cking retarded”, “dumb bitch” — these are all things that have been uttered by the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White. The UFC may be MMA’s pinnacle and FOX’s diamond in the rough, but if the promotion is ever to secure a spot in the mainstream, it needs to display more control over its mouthpiece and his tongue. Advertisers tend to frown upon such public displays of hostility and bigotry. When Uncle Dana slips again and gives someone an earful, you can be certain that it won’t go unpunished as it has in the past. This goes for you too, Rogan and Rashad.

2. A champion will test positive for a banned substance.

As co-host of the Opie & Anthony radio show on SiriusXM, comedian Jim Norton has become the designated punching bag for visiting MMA stars. He’s been choked, he’s been kicked, he’s had his foot twisted 180 degrees by Brock Lesnar. And considering what a sick, depraved bastard Norton is, you have to wonder if he enjoys it on some level. Here’s everything we could collect from Jim Norton’s MMA-related body of work. All videos courtesy of opieradio.

Guest: BJ Penn, 4/14/10
Technique: Armbar
In Jim’s words: “That is fuckin’ horrible…Besides the fact that your arm is ready to be ripped out, it puts pressure on your fuckin’ — it stretches you both ways, I didn’t realize it did that.”

(Video courtesy of YouTube/LesnarMMA)

- The Muppets “Mahna Mahna” Came from a 60s Italian Porno (FilmDrunk)

- The Complete History of Athletes Posing for Playboy (Complex)

- Work Out Like Ben Askren (MuscleProdigy)

- TUF Origins Part One (SI)

- Kelly Brook Has a New Calendar and It’s Totally Sports-Related (WithLeather)

- TUF 14 Finalist John Dodson Delivers KOs With a Smile (Clutch.MTV)

- Your Phone Company is Tracking Everything You’ve Been Doing (AskMen)

- How to Handle a Break-Up if You’re a Friend Caught in Between (TheRugged)

- The 5 Worst Latin Dictators of the 20th Century (TuVez)

- 9 Types of Drunk People and Which One You May Be (Guyism)

- 7 Motion Capture Performances Worthy of a Razzie  (ScreenJunkies)

- Surprisingly Delicious Thanksgiving Leftovers (MadeMan)

- Chael Sounds Off On Anderson (BleacherReport)

- Desperate Ways to Make Money for the Holidays (HolyTaco)

- Eight Released in UFC’s Latest Round of Cuts (FightersOnly)

- Anderson Silva: Nothing to Say About Chael Sonnen (LowKick)

- Victim” Raider’s McClain Put a Gun to My Head (ScoresReport)

(Video courtesy of YouTube/WhatsOnVideos)

Typically you don’t many instances that demonstrate the effectiveness of Taekwondo in combat sports.

Sure, guys like Anthony Pettis and David Loiseau (back in the day) have shown just how flashy and exciting the art can be, but as far as knockouts go, Muay Thai has become the weapon of choice for most fighters who want to finish opponents like Anderson Silva did Rich Franklin.

This kickboxing competition video out of Japan flipped that theory on its head in a matter of seconds when the Taekwondo dude immediately ran out to the center of the ring and spin-kicked the muay thai stylist into dreamland.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHub)

FightHubTv.com caught up with Chael Sonnen last night in Las Vegas where he hosted the Fighters Only World MMA Awards and the uncharacteristically reserved and noticeably glassy-eyed UFC middleweight sort of cleared up recent speculation about whom he will fight next.

According to “The Gangster from America,” contrary to popular belief, he will not be squaring off with Mark Munoz at the planned UFC on Fox 2 broadcast. Although he wouldn’t say when his next fight is, Sonnen did infer that his opponent will be decided this weekend.

(Smiling in the presence of a woman? Automatic one-point deduction. / Photo via Sherdog)

As sort-of hazily defined by Nick Diaz back in January 2010, the Unified Rules of Stockton is an alternate MMA scoring system in which the winner of the fight is the guy who would have won if the match had continued indefinitely, and the loser is the guy who looks more fucked up afterwards. Under Stockton Rules, only the final round is scored, and holding onto top position without doing damage actually counts for negative points.

The more commonly used ten-point-must system keeps things nice and uniform, and doesn’t require judges to predict the future. But as we’ve seen time and time again, the fighter who has more points on the scorecards isn’t always who you would call the “winner.” So which notable UFC fights would have different results if the scoring system was a little more gangster? Let’s get an obvious one out of the way first…

DAN HENDERSON vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA
UFC 139, 11/19/11

We’d tell you how we can do this to that poor girl, but it’s already been asked.

We’re back with yet another installment of Ask the Potato. You know the drill by now. You ask us somewhat serious questions. We give you bitter, sarcastic responses. Those Black Friday discounts we got yesterday have us feeling pretty stoked, so we’re not going to be nearly as facetious as usual. Sarcasm? Only one way to find out…

RSparrow asks: Who’s the black guy that’s always at the weigh ins? Like some kinda hype man, wtf?

(A PSP, a Marmaduke book, and fistful of dollars… Man, this cat really knows how to get down!)

By Jason Moles

While our wives and girlfriends are busy maxing out our credit cards in hopes of finding the perfect gift for everyone she knows, we should be reminded that money can’t buy everything — especially in the world of mixed martial arts. Follow us after the jump to discover the irony of the MMA Black Friday. I promise it will be better than the turkey sandwich and leftover pumpkin pie you’ll have for lunch.

1.) Resurrection

In June, Cheick Kongo did what no man has done since the Messiah some 2,000+ years ago — he defeated death. Alright, so maybe I’ve had a few too many turkey day cocktails and that’s not exactly how it went down, but you get the jist. Kongo was knocked unconscious not once but twice in his fight against fellow heavyweight Pat Barry and he still managed to win the fight! By KO nonetheless. No amount of Earthly money could ever buy a second (or third) chance to live again. If it were that easy, Steve Jobs would’ve made certain you increase your credit limit.

(“UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida” video trailer. Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Some selected highlights from our eBros around the MMA blogosphere…

- Dana White Relieved Shogun vs. Henderson Didn’t Headline FOX Premiere (5th Round)

- ‘Tapped Out’ Author Talks Transformation From Pudgy Writer to Formidable Fighter (MMAFighting)

- Chael Sonnen Accepts Anderson Silva’s Challenge to Fight in Brazil (Five Ounces of Pain)

- UFC Champ Junior Dos Santos Contemplating 2016 Olympic Run in Boxing (FightLine)

- Tito Ortiz Has a Message for Rich Franklin: ‘I’ll Break You Off Some’ (MMA Mania)

- 15 MMA Fighters Who Are Ready to Explode Onto the Scene (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Remember When Joe Rogan Was on the Cover of “Black Belt” Magazine? (The Fight Nerd)

- Paulo Filho Pulled Out of ANOTHER Fight, and Now KSW Is Pretty Heated (MiddleEasy)

- Vadim Finkelstein: We Will Offer the UFC a Fight Between Velasquez and Fedor (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)

- DREAM New Year! 2011 Will Likely Feature Fedor Emelianenko and Shinya Aoki (MMA Convert)

- Media/Insider Fallout From UFC’s Debut on Fox (Fight Opinion)

- UFC 139: Payout Perspective (MMA Payout)

Chael Sonnen lets reporter have it – Watch MoreFunny Videos

Our favorite quote generator, Chael Sonnen was interviewed on Canadian sport network TSN today by infamous pot stirrer Michael Lansberg and let’s just say that if he was acting, he deserves an Oscar.

Things got heated from the very beginning when Lansberg asked the number one UFC middleweight contender why he “backed down” from the loser leaves town challenge he issued UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

“You might want to take the bass out of your tone, I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to here, but I’ve never backed down from anything, so check your facts,” Sonnen said. “If I tell you I’ll sell you my car for $10,000, do you think I can just call you back a year from now and say, ‘I’ll take the $10,000 for the car’? That’s not how offers work. Is that how you do business in Canada? Cause in my country, that created business, offers expire.I made him an offer, apparently it didn’t work, he didn’t accept it. It’s not that I backed down, but apparently I need to present him with a new offer. You guys probably don’t do that in socialism, but in America, in a capitalistic society, that’s how things work.”

(Video courtesy of YouTube/StocktonHeyBuddy)

Anderson Silva continues to be MMA’s busiest  one-man marketing machine.”The Spider” appears in the latest commercial by Ford Brazil (above) and he puts on a pretty entertaining performance.

(“Brock Hunt,” the latest piece of brilliance by notlookoutawhale. I don’t like muskmelon; put that in your little notebook.)

This week’s featured stories…

- Divine Inspiration: Interview Exclusive With UFC Middleweight Contender Chael Sonnen (MMA Mania)
“Let me ask you something: when you have a big project or plans for a big goal, do you let yourself get derailed by a whiny coworker that always finds an excuse to shovel work on someone else? NO! You do your work, you beat your obligations senseless, you shine like a pagan sun god, you make that whiny prat look foolish, you take their job, you laugh as they leave with a box of their effects, and you comfort their obviously unsatisfied wife by taking her out to dinner. I’m not cooling my heels just because Anderson’s are kicked up on the sofa.”

- Despite Large Audience Expectations, UFC on FOX Debut Will Be Money Loser for UFC (MMAFighting)
“It’s an investment in the company,” Dana White recently said. “In no way, shape or form do we come anywhere close to making our money back. You don’t go on free television and make your money. That’s just not how it works. We’re going to get smashed on this fight, but it’s an investment in the future of the business.”

- 15 Worst One-Sided Beatdowns Ever Witnessed in MMA (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
“Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva fought against one another on three separate occasions in fights that should have never happened. The Japanese great never made it to the final bell against the heavy-handed striker in Silva. In the end, Silva was always the victor at the expense of Sakuraba, who always left their outings a bludgeoned mess, resulting in some of the worst performances of his career.”

- Brock Lesnar: Alistair Overeem Is Unfortunate to Fight Me in His UFC Debut (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)
“For two years I had to lie to myself and all of my fans. I had to get up every morning and say, ‘you feel good today,’ and I didn’t. I had the surgery, it’s out of my life and I’m back and that’s a damn good feeling for me and it’s bad for everybody else.”

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV)

When Mark Munoz politely mentioned that he wouldn’t be opposed to fighting his friend and sometimes training partner, UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva Saturday following his impressive win over Chris Leben in Birmingham, England, many of us were surprised, given the fact that the majority of fighters in the UFC seem reluctant to fight their pals.

Then he recanted and said that, actually he’d like to fight Michael Bisping instead, which made a lot more sense considering that a few fights ago Yushin Okami made us forget that Munoz was a top-tier wrestler.

Well, he’s back at it again.

In an interview “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” did with FightHubTV.com’s Marcos Villegas yesterday, the dangerous UFC middleweight touched on a number of topics, including why he’d take the fight, what it would mean to his friendship with Silva and why he doesn’t think Chael Sonnen deserves the next crack at the belt.

Brass tacks after the jump.

(“I WAS ONLY KIDDING! RAAAAAWWWRRRR!!!!” Photo via UFC.com)

Mark Munoz‘s post-fight call-out of middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 138 was so unnecessarily beside-the-point that Spike TV didn’t even include it in their tape-delayed broadcast. And you can’t really fault them for that editing decision. Munoz is behind at least two guys on the contender ladder — Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, provided that the Count can get past Jason Miller in December — and if you’re not going to start your call-out with a memorable line like “Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck,” you’re not going to gain much traction with fans.

So, the Filipino Wrecking Machine has set his sights on smaller, more manageable prey — namely, the aforementioned British heel, Michael Bisping. As Munoz told ESPN:

When we mentioned earlier that Mark Munoz had perhaps jumped the gun when he called out Anderson Silva in his post-fight interview, we had no idea how much the execs at Spike TV agreed with us. Turns out, most of you probably never even knew this had happened, because despite the amount of time Spike had to compose the event following it’s actual occurrence, Munoz’s call out of “The Spider” was cut off before we even had the time to process how ridiculous it was. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons that Dana White & Co. are no longer putting up with Spike TV’s bullshit.

But where the geniuses behind such programs as Manswers, 1000 Ways to Die, and Blue Mountain State *shudder* failed, ZombieProphet and our buddies over at IronForgesIron succeeded.

In the above video, Munoz states that “I’ve paid my dues in this weight class” and that “I consider [Anderson] a friend, but right now I’d love to get a title shot.” Apparently Munoz believes that if threatening the champ’s wife with sexual harassment and calling him a coward doesn’t work, then maybe a little ass kissing will. And at this point, it’s hard telling what you have to do to get a fight with A. Silva.

So what do you guys think? Is Munoz drinking the wrong Kool-Aid or does he have a point here?

Speaking of Munoz, join us after the jump to see how Leben congratulated “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” on his victory:

(Video courtesy of YouTube/westfesttv)

Just like with everything else in life, celebrities seem to all be copping a move right out of Justin Bieber’s playbook when it comes to cross-promotion by publicly calling for a piece of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s time.

You may recall that Anderson joined the alleged 17-year-old baby-maker (the infant type, not the song) onstage during a recent concert and followed up the appearance with a head-scratching choreographed dance routine he performed on a Brazilian television show. Well, Snoop recognized the potential marketing cash cow of the team-up and has extended an offer for Anderson to join him on tour.

“Wat up, though? This is big Snoop Dogg. Anderson Silva, man, come hang out with yo’ boy Snoop Dogg, man. You just won a new championship belt,” Snoop explained. “Come bring it to the show so I can show you mine and we can mix and match and put some of that….in the air.”

(Leonard Garcia goes full zombie before his rematch with Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 24. Props: PlatformNation)

Man, it would have been awesome if we thought of this idea before Halloween. Ah well. Check out the gallery after the jump for 15 classic examples of MMA fighters playing dress-up before hitting the scale. Enjoy.

(“Do you need a manager?”)

Anderson Silva wants Ed Soares to take his name out of his mouth — at least when talking to reporters about the career decisions of his marquee client.

Silva took exception to Soares’ recent interview with GLOBO recently during which he explained that Silva will likely retire after competing four more times in the Octagon. The usually jovial Brazilian fighter refuted Soares’ assertion and hinted that he may split with his longtime manager as a result his insolence.

“Not true. As one of my coaches, I still have many bottles to sell. I think we keep fighting for another six, seven years. Four years ago, I was a little stressed,” Silva explained in an interview with GLOBO this week. “I decided with my teacher Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira that after another year I would stop. He said he had no reason to, and then I stopped to think, I had one more fight, and then said, ‘I will postpone my retirement for some time.”

ProMMANow caught up with Chael Sonnen over the weekend and they asked the number one UFC middleweight contender if he thinks the rumored bout with Anderson Silva will happen soon. As usual, Chael didn’t hold back especially when talking about Silva’s seeming unwillingness to fight him again and the recent callout he got from Vitor Belfort.

“Listen, I’m gonna go fight whether it’s him or it’s someone else, I’m not gonna hold back. I fight them all. I am the middleweight champion and I take on all comers and he’s an impostor. The clear distinction between the tru champion and that bum is that. I’ll fight ‘em all. I don’t care what their name is, what their record is…big fight, little fight, this fight, that fight…I will fight. Period. Vitor Belfort calls me out, that’s no problem, Vitor,” Sonnen stated. “I will stomp you just as sure as I’ll do this interview today. You mean nothing to me, okay? You wanna fight me? Let’s fight. Got that, Vitor? You challenged me. I accept your challenge, stupid. Now what are you gonna do? Nothing, are you? You just said it ‘cuz you knew my plate was full. Wrong. I will stomp you.”

(“Your face still has my footprint on it, bro.”)

According to the Brazilian website GLOBO, UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and former number one contender Vitor Belfort will be the coaches on the Brazilian version of The Ultimate Fighter, which begins filming in South American country in March 2012.

UFC officials, however told MMAJunkie this afternoon that the report is erroneous, but take the denial with a grain of salt. Remember the company has been guarded in the past when it comes to revealing TUF coaches prior to approximately the month before shooting begins for logistical reasons. The other reason why they could be denying the report, if it is in fact true, is that Silva is likely to face Chael Sonnen in February and it would come off as though they are expecting “The Spider” to win if they were to announce him as a coach, especially if it’s likely that he will defend his title against Belfort at the conclusion of the season. Smoke and mirrors.

Personally, I’d like them to bring in Uncle Chael to coach opposite Anderson. Hell, I’d watch the whole season without subtitles and on mute just to see Anderson’s facial expressions whenever Chael addresses him. It probably won’t happen since 3/4 of the Brazilian MMA fan base don’t know what playing the heel is, which is probably tied into the absence of the Internet in the country and because they often mistake buses for horses.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TwisterEddie)

Renato Laranja is back with another one of his instant classic interviews. This time around our hero sits down with M-1 light heavyweight champion Vinny Magalhaes and the interview goes well until the former TUF 8 finalist starts to get a gay vibe from the 27-time Mundials champion. Magalhaes accuses Laranja of becoming “weird” since he moved to the U.S. and hints that he may have picked up some homosexual tendencies — not that there’s anything wrong with that, right Vinny?

First Big Nog’ and now Vinny. What’s next? Is Anderson going to stop wearing pink shirts and dancing with Justin Bieber?

(Ah, 2007. A very fine year for gogoplatas. / Photo via Sherdog)

By Ben Goldstein

Over the last two decades, MMA has evolved so consistently that fighters are still finding new and unexpected ways to destroy their opponents — while causing fans to spit their beers in shock. We decided to take a lil’ spin through MMA history and identify the single most awe-inspiring technique from each year since the sport’s modern inception. We expect you to disagree with us; there’s a comments section just for that purpose. And away we go…

1993: Royce Gracie’s Rear-Naked Choke
vs. Ken Shamrock @ UFC 1, 11/12/93

(Fight starts at the 3:54 mark)

You have to remember that in the early ’90s, a well-placed roundhouse kick to the head was considered the pinnacle of martial arts. What Royce Gracie introduced to fight fans in his early UFC run was something much more practical, less flashy, and a little bit scary. Gracie’s submission of Ken Shamrock — and the similar hold he used to stop Gerard Gordeau in the finals — proved that skill beat size, and pajamas beat man-panties.

1994: Dan Severn’s Suplexes
vs. Anthony Macias @ UFC 4, 12/16/94

“Look into my eyes, Keith Kizer…look deep into my eyes. You are getting very sleepy. You hate drug tests...” (Photo: ESPN)

Chael Sonnen has clearly distanced himself from his peers in the art of the interview. His sound bites, validity aside, are second to none. Perhaps gearing up for his hosting duties at next month’s ‘Fighters Only World MMA Awards”, Sonnen joined Jon Anik and Kenny Florian on last night’s episode of “MMA Live”. As expected, Chael did not disappoint, and we’ve got the highlights…

Host Jon Anik asks if Carlos Condit, having taken the title fight on short notice, has actually caught a break with GSP’s injury in that he’ll now have more time to prepare for his opponent and a five round affair (video) :

“I don’t think so, and I don’t think this fight’s going to come back for quite some time. Listen, if you’re the champion, you remain champion until you lose the title. If you’re the number one contender, you absolutely are not ingrained in any type of stone. As a matter of fact, not only do I believe he has lost this opportunity, I believe the winner of Diaz-BJ Penn will get the next opportunity against GSP.”

It’s good to be back.

After days of anticipation, Ask the Potato is finally back and as credible as ever. The deepest thinkers among us have emerged with a series of questions- some of which even came in the form of complete sentences, with question marks and everything. The rest of you? Well, you at least tried to have a coherent thought, right? And even though the thought doesn’t count, you’re still special to us. So, without further delay, the triumphant return of Ask the Potato awaits after the jump.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/filhomarquess)

When Anderson Silva appeared onstage during a recent Justin Bieber concert in Rio de Janeiro, we all just chalked it up to “The Spider” being an expert at creating cross-promotional opportunities, but we’re seriously starting to have our doubts about our theory.

(And for my next trick, I’ll make my transcribed threats disappear.) 

Who didn’t see this coming? Though we’ve long questioned/marveled at Chael Sonnen‘s mental stability, or lack thereof, his recent appearance on the Jim Rome Show has more or less confirmed or suspicions that most of what comes out of his mouth is utter bullshit. For instance, when asked if the “loser leaves town” scenario that he proposed to Anderson Silva during his post fight interview at UFC 136 was still valid, Sonnen, like a typical politician, said that the offer had expired. We’ll let “The Oregon Wankster” explain:

(“I am not impressed with the UFC’s injured champions statistics.”)

Add Georges St-Pierre to the list of UFC champions who have been sidelined by injury in the past year.

According to a tweet by UFC president Dana White, the 30-year-old French Canadian has been forced out of his scheduled UFC 137 title defense against Carlos Condit.

With the injury, St-Pierre brings the UFC’s injured champions list from the past year to 100 percent. Each of the promotion’s title holders from bantamweight up to middleweight has been on the DL list in the past 365 days.

Check out the injury curse list as it stands today after the jump.

(Step one: Sneak up on him very quietly.)

Our buddy Jonathan Shrager published a must-read interview with Matt Lindland on Bleacher Report yesterday, in which “The Law” discusses his feud with Dan Henderson, the movie Vision Quest, his Libertarian political beliefs, what it’s like to have a beer with Chael Sonnen, and much more. This little exchange stood out in particular:

BLEACHER REPORT: You’ve gone on record as stating that Anderson Silva is already attempting to shirk Chael. If the fight eventually materialises, how would Chael fare in the rematch?
MATT LINDLAND: I think the rematch would look just like the first one, except I’ve got a game plan for Chael to finish him before the end of the third round. So, yeah it’ll look similar to their first encounter, but with some additional techniques and strategy, it won’t make it to the championship rounds.

Would these additional techniques involve wrestling submission holds or BJJ?
BJJ submissions? We are not Brazilians. We are Americans. You understand that right? Why would we be working BJJ? We do not employ BJJ. We employ American wrestling submissions.

Click here to read the interview on BleacherReport.com/MMA

(“I want people to look at me and say, ‘Wow, this is where he started and look where he ended up.’” Photo props: MMA Weekly)

By Ben Goldstein

Over the last six years, we’ve watched Chris Leben evolve from The Ultimate Fighter‘s original wild-ass brawler, to a multi-faceted contender who has the tools to defeat virtually any middleweight opponent on any given night. In fact, two of Leben’s last three fights have resulted in the greatest victories of his entire career — his epic UFC 116 Fight of the Night against Yoshihiro Akiyama, and his stunning 27-second knockout of Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132.

On November 5th, Leben will headline UFC 138 in Birmingham, England, against Mark Munoz, in a meeting that could put one of them on the short-list for a title shot. We spent some time on the phone with the Crippler last week and discussed all the notable battles in his life that have led him to where he is today, facing yet another massive opportunity. Enjoy, and check out our previous Retrospective Interviews right here.

THE ORIGIN STORY

(Matt Lindland, overdressed as usual.)

CHRIS LEBEN: “I think I was in the fourth grade when I got into my first fight. I can’t remember what it was over — something on the playground. But that was my first real, non-wrestling match, hitting-each-other-in-the-face kind of fight. And all the other kids just stood around and watched. I didn’t get into fights a lot, but I definitely had some good ones, like all kids that are a little more on the wild side.

I did a little wrestling in grade school, and something called Christian Karate that I did in like third grade. Then I started boxing in eighth grade and I actually took that really seriously.

Even when I was in junior high, my plan was always to fight in the UFC. I joined Team Quest right after I turned 21. You have to remember that at 185 pounds, I was training with Matt Lindland, Evan Tanner, Chael Sonnen, Ed Herman — we were all in the same room, every day. And every day I walked into the gym, my first coach Robert Follis would say, ‘Good morning Chris, how are you doing?’ And I’d say, ‘Did you get me a fight yet? Did you get me a fight yet?’ I’d never say, ‘Good morning, how are you,’ it was always ‘Did you get me a fight yet?’ I believe it was about six months until I had my first amateur fight.”