Leben: Silva, Koscheck should retire

Retired UFC middleweight Chris Leben, 34, appeared recently on Submission Radio for a wide-ranging interview.

Fellow TUF 1 cast member Jason Thacker was recently profiled by Chuck Mindenhall. “Strange Brew” now cares for disabled family members. He doesn’t have kids, or a wife, or a girlfriend, or a cell phone, or a car, or a job, or friends. When asked if the show ruined his life, Thacker says it did.

One of the moments from the season that unfortunately lingers in the sport’s collective memory is the bullying the Thacker suffered, as epitomized by Leben “spritzing” in his bed.

I mean I took a look at the article, you know we talked about it on my (Unfiltered MMA) show and truthfully he wasn’t at the level of the rest of the guys on the show,” said Leben. “They brought him in as – reality shows, they have those contrasting characters. You know what I’m saying? I think in a lot of ways, yeah he was a sacrificial lamb.

“But looking at the article and stuff; I mean I’m older, I hope a little more wiser, a little more experienced, and yeah I know I was a little bit of a dickhead on the show, but I just really appreciated that he doesn’t have any resentments. His life is where it’s at and he’s fully accepted it. He doesn’t hold anything against anybody that was on the show – you know, me in particular – which just makes me go man, what a….what a real person. What a stand up guy.

When Thacker returned to Canada after the show, there was resentment that he had not represented the country well. He got into a number of bar fights over it, including one in which he was hit in the face with a pipe.

God, it’s a tough deal, but you know it’s a cutthroat world,” said Leben. Canada’s a little crazy too. It’s its own beast. The fans in Canada for some reason are just…they’re just over the top, man. They love the sport, but you know that’s…I might have peed on his bed, but I certainly wouldn’t beat him up.

Leben also discussed another, far more heralded fighter suffering that the moment. The Godfather of Ground n Pound, Mark Coleman, is currently bedridden waiting for an infection to clear so he can have a second hip replacement. He is struggling to cover his $800 per month in insurance costs. A GoFundMe has been set up, and fans have contributed nearly half of the $100,000 goal. However, many fans have also wished there some sort of pension plan in place, at least for UFC Hall of Famers.

Leben agrees.

Absolutely I think so,” he said. “I’ll just go and say, a life in fighting is not your average career. And sure none of us are going to have 25 years in the UFC and then retire, but even these guys that have changed the sport – and in my case, a lot of the other guys from the original Ultimate Fighter – we spend nearly a decade in the sport. You sacrifice a lot, we all gave a lot, and without these people; Mark Coleman for example, man without that guy, you know man what would that sport be? That guy was one of the founders, one of the people that made this sport, and now that the sport is doing so well, I really don’t understand why there wouldn’t be.

Leben also discussed fellow TUF 1 cast member Josh Koscheck, 37, who has lost his last five fights in a row.

“I mean what else does he have to prove?” asked Leben. “Let it go. I mean, there comes a point in everybody’s life where you gotta say ‘you know I think I’ve proven everything I can and I’ve pushed as far as I can go’. And in my opinion it’s better to burn out than fade away.

Leben tested positive for the PED Stanozolol following his 2008 fight vs. Michael Bisping, but he expressed great surprise when former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, 40, failed a PED test.

I was blown away,” said Leben. “Really I was. Anderson’s such a natural athlete and everything else, but I mean, I can understand it, coming of an injury like that, and with his age and where he’s at. That being said, god I know I sound like a broken record, but I mean if he would have just went out and retired after breaking his leg and everything else, and said ‘look, this is a catastrophic injury. I was the best fighter of all time.’ The world was his oyster at that point, and god I know I fucked up, but it’s a definitely a little bit damaging to his legacy I guess. And I know he’s one of the nicest guys. Every time he’s so respectful, he’s so great, and I understand what it is to want to still compete and to want to try to keep your body healthy, but that was a…

“I guess in particular getting caught was a bit f—ed up. You know what I’m saying? I mean don’t get me wrong, everybody kind of looked at me one way, but in the world’s eyes Anderson Silva was just a whole other beast, and that really did a lot more damage I think than if somebody like me were to get caught.

Mixed martial arts is compelling at the level of our DNA. But it is a hurting game, and can be terribly, terribly cruel to the aged. Leben’s call is one that should be heeded widely.