Retired fan-favorite Chris Leben to make Nevada judging debut at UFC Vegas 79: “Grateful”

Former UFC veteran Chris Leben has taken his talents to the side of the cage.

‘The Crippler’ is one of the more colorful characters in MMA history. The inaugural WEC middleweight champion, he later signed to the UFC in 2005. Over the next nine years, Chris Leben would face some of the biggest names in the sport, including Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, and more.

Ultimately, he retired from the sport of MMA following a 2013 knockout loss to Uriah Hall. Although, Chris Leben’s retirement was short-lived. He later signed with Bellator but never fought in the promotion. Instead, he went 3-1 in the bare-knuckle boxing ring, retiring from that in early 2021.

However, many fans would be shocked to learn that Chris Leben has stayed involved with combat sports. Over the last few years, he’s become not only a licensed referee but also a judge in the state of California. Having been trained by Herb Dean, he’s been officiating fights since 2016.

Now, Chris Leben will make his Nevada judging debut tomorrow night at UFC Vegas 79. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, with ‘The Crippler’ later confirming the news on social media. He gave a simple message, that he was grateful for the opportunity.

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“Grateful.” – Leben wrote on social media earlier today, confirming the news of his UFC judging debut.

Nonetheless, Chris Leben’s addition to UFC Vegas 79 adds to an alright exciting card. The main event is currently set to be a lightweight clash between ranked contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Rafael Fiziev. Meanwhile, the co-main event features the return of Bryce Mitchell, taking on ’50k’ Dan Ige.

What do you make of this news involving Chris Leben? Are you excited for UFC Vegas 79?