In early 2016, Chris Leben’s heart was working at less than 20 percent. Doctors told him he probably needed a new one.
Fast forward to today, “The Crippler,” a UFC pioneer and TUF 1 alum, is just hours away from making his return to combat sports.
Leben on Friday night meets fellow MMA veteran Phil Baroni in a bare-knuckle boxing match in the co-main event of WBKFF 1. The fight is for the promotion’s light heavyweight title. It marks Leben’s first time competing since the end of 2013, when he last fought in the UFC.
Leben planned to return to MMA in Bellator nearly three years ago, but that fell apart when he failed an electrocardiogram (EKG) and was subsequently not medically cleared to fight.