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The Crippler: Cage Fighting and My Life on the Edge
It takes a certain kind of person to do whatever is necessary to make a living as a mixed martial arts fighter. And it takes another kind of person to stand out from all the rest as both a wild man and a rock star. Chris Leben, otherwise known as “The Crippler,” is that kind of person.
Leben’s reputation started when he appeared on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter , a reality show and competition where hopeful fighters live together and vie for a UFC contract and a path to greatness. He quickly made a name for himself with his controversial and abrasive behavior. During his subsequent ten-year career in ultimate fighting, Leben became one of the most recognized figures in the sport, enthralling audiences around the world with his wild, head-first style of fighting as he took on some of the world’s best fighters, including Anderson Silva, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Wanderlei Silva.
But Leben’s success in the ring and international fame hid a troubled background. Abandoned by his father at a young age, Leben’s mother worked long hours to raise him and his two siblings, and Leben learned early he had to be tough to fend for himself. For most of his life, Leben struggled with alcohol and narcotics, and he was suspended by the UFC for nine months for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Crippler is not just an exciting account of his rise to prominence within the UFC; it’s the incredible story of a renowned wild man dealing with his personal demons and learning that the toughest opponent is always yourself.
Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Leben’s reputation started when he appeared on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter , a reality show and competition where hopeful fighters live together and vie for a UFC contract and a path to greatness. He quickly made a name for himself with his controversial and abrasive behavior. During his subsequent ten-year career in ultimate fighting, Leben became one of the most recognized figures in the sport, enthralling audiences around the world with his wild, head-first style of fighting as he took on some of the world’s best fighters, including Anderson Silva, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Wanderlei Silva.
But Leben’s success in the ring and international fame hid a troubled background. Abandoned by his father at a young age, Leben’s mother worked long hours to raise him and his two siblings, and Leben learned early he had to be tough to fend for himself. For most of his life, Leben struggled with alcohol and narcotics, and he was suspended by the UFC for nine months for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Crippler is not just an exciting account of his rise to prominence within the UFC; it’s the incredible story of a renowned wild man dealing with his personal demons and learning that the toughest opponent is always yourself.
Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2016
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 14, 2016
Great read. Leben is as honest as they come
Even if you are not particularly a mma fan I think you will still enjoy this book. Chris has had a lot of ups and downs and is such an interesting person that you can't help but admire his honesty. I really enjoyed it
Even if you are not particularly a mma fan I think you will still enjoy this book. Chris has had a lot of ups and downs and is such an interesting person that you can't help but admire his honesty. I really enjoyed it
September 20, 2021
This book is a true roller-coaster, I went from basically facepalming for 20 minutes straight to laughing so loud during a commute that people on the street were giving me suspicious looks. This is on its core, truly an autobiography of a life on the edge, alcohol, drugs, PEDs, fights, highest of highs and lowest of lows imaginable for a fighter, nah, for even a human being.
Starting from his debut on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter until his retirement in the UFC, I recall him as an emotionally-unstable, drowned-in-drinks-and-drugs character that would, except for a few occasions, fight one in a while. I loved his style of fighting though, I had thought of him as one of the fighters that I have never skipped a second of his fights. On the biggest stages he had been to being bashed by the officials, he had this aura of free fall that you would had felt you're falling with him, to an inevitable misery but you knew you would enjoy the whole ride.
Now about the book: READ iT! It's one the best biographies you can find related to MMA/UFC.
//
Starting from his debut on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter until his retirement in the UFC, I recall him as an emotionally-unstable, drowned-in-drinks-and-drugs character that would, except for a few occasions, fight one in a while. I loved his style of fighting though, I had thought of him as one of the fighters that I have never skipped a second of his fights. On the biggest stages he had been to being bashed by the officials, he had this aura of free fall that you would had felt you're falling with him, to an inevitable misery but you knew you would enjoy the whole ride.
Now about the book: READ iT! It's one the best biographies you can find related to MMA/UFC.
//
October 16, 2024
A somewhat proud recollection of all the fights, drugs, drinks and women that fed the career of a UFC contender. Nobody should be surprised by the kind of life Chris Leben led, within the octagon or without. In the cage, he was a block-knocker, the type of brawler who would happily test chins with the heaviest hitters in the world. Outside it, he never met an intoxicant he didn’t like. Except heroin. Even Leben knows better than to screw around with heroin.
So it’s a colorful tale, to say the least, well-populated with seedy locales, trashed hotels, drunken blackouts and psycho bimbos. Chris doesn’t mince words about who he is - in fact, he confesses to being borderline illiterate and inherently unstable - but at some point you do begin to wonder if he’s ever going to wake up and get his life together. How many times can the toddler touch a hot stove before he learns his lesson? Judging from the epilogue, more than you’d think. Even as his ghost writer finalized this volume for print, Leben headed back to jail for violating a restraining order. He just can’t help himself.
While Chris makes no excuses for his private sins, the same can’t be said of his career. With just one exception, each of his losses (ten in the UFC alone) is paired with a convenient explanation of why his mind and/or body wasn’t in the right place to win. Apart from Anderson Silva, who he admits blasted him to kingdom come, most everyone else on the wrong side of his record merely caught him at a bad time.
I could’ve done without the lengthy chapter arguing his position on PEDs (and somehow tying it to Caitlyn Jenner’s sex change) or his lecture about the perils of Oxycontin. Both topics relate to his career in the UFC, both were reasons he failed drug tests and ate suspensions, so I understand why they’re brought up. His arguments are preachy and unconvincing, though, and I’d have rather seen more emphasis on his fight experiences and incidents in Las Vegas during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter’s first season. He stops short of getting truly in-depth with each of those subjects.
So it’s a colorful tale, to say the least, well-populated with seedy locales, trashed hotels, drunken blackouts and psycho bimbos. Chris doesn’t mince words about who he is - in fact, he confesses to being borderline illiterate and inherently unstable - but at some point you do begin to wonder if he’s ever going to wake up and get his life together. How many times can the toddler touch a hot stove before he learns his lesson? Judging from the epilogue, more than you’d think. Even as his ghost writer finalized this volume for print, Leben headed back to jail for violating a restraining order. He just can’t help himself.
While Chris makes no excuses for his private sins, the same can’t be said of his career. With just one exception, each of his losses (ten in the UFC alone) is paired with a convenient explanation of why his mind and/or body wasn’t in the right place to win. Apart from Anderson Silva, who he admits blasted him to kingdom come, most everyone else on the wrong side of his record merely caught him at a bad time.
I could’ve done without the lengthy chapter arguing his position on PEDs (and somehow tying it to Caitlyn Jenner’s sex change) or his lecture about the perils of Oxycontin. Both topics relate to his career in the UFC, both were reasons he failed drug tests and ate suspensions, so I understand why they’re brought up. His arguments are preachy and unconvincing, though, and I’d have rather seen more emphasis on his fight experiences and incidents in Las Vegas during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter’s first season. He stops short of getting truly in-depth with each of those subjects.
November 19, 2017
I've always been a huge Chris leben fan!
This book is brutally honest and is some parts disturbing .. Chris leben was savage and came back against all odds in his fights which always made him exciting to watch in the octagon, this book shows just how far Chris was able to succeed in life against such great odds in life.
Daniel Patinkin has done a brilliant job in capturing Chris Leben's personality and creating a memoir worthy of reading.
A mix of beauty and disaster .. This is what Daniel Patinkin describes is book as in his end note and I think its fitting for the man this book is about too!
This book is brutally honest and is some parts disturbing .. Chris leben was savage and came back against all odds in his fights which always made him exciting to watch in the octagon, this book shows just how far Chris was able to succeed in life against such great odds in life.
Daniel Patinkin has done a brilliant job in capturing Chris Leben's personality and creating a memoir worthy of reading.
A mix of beauty and disaster .. This is what Daniel Patinkin describes is book as in his end note and I think its fitting for the man this book is about too!
June 16, 2016
Most MMA biographies are fairly boring hit and miss affairs. This one stands out because both Chris Leben and his personal story are both enigmatic and well told. Leben writes through a ghost writer, but the guy is no punch drunk neanderthal; well read and articulate, and you can definitely hear his voice clearly within these pages.
I became a fan of Leben’s when he appeared on the first series of the Ultimate Fighter show. Beyond his drunken bravado and brash antics, I could see then that Leben possessed the charisma, skills and drive to go far in the MMA world.
I could also see that the guy had an undeniable nihilistic streak and possessed the potential for endless amounts of self sabotage.
Years later, after ending a colourful yet checkered fighting career, Leben disappeared off the radar as most of the MMA guys do. He recently resurfaced alongside director Chris Bell in the promotion of Bell’s latest movie “Prescription Thugs” which recounts Leben own struggle under the stranglehold of addiction to prescription painkillers.
As he relates in this very candid and raw life story, painkillers were only part of the cocktail of substances Leben abused over the years as he battled the demons of his past and personal psyche. He pulls no punches relating his own past, his encounters with the UFC, Dana White and many other well-known names in the fight game.
Cliches aside, one motif running clear throughout this book is that Leben’s biggest and most formidable opponent has and always will always be, the man himself.
Success is often the worst enemy of the self-destructive and the end result is rarely pretty. Apart from the cumulative near misses, Leben’s life is not over yet - and I hope that in writing this shit down, it started a cathartic process for him. The self destructive path is usually winding and terminates at the same junction point for those following its well worn tracks.
I became a fan of Leben’s when he appeared on the first series of the Ultimate Fighter show. Beyond his drunken bravado and brash antics, I could see then that Leben possessed the charisma, skills and drive to go far in the MMA world.
I could also see that the guy had an undeniable nihilistic streak and possessed the potential for endless amounts of self sabotage.
Years later, after ending a colourful yet checkered fighting career, Leben disappeared off the radar as most of the MMA guys do. He recently resurfaced alongside director Chris Bell in the promotion of Bell’s latest movie “Prescription Thugs” which recounts Leben own struggle under the stranglehold of addiction to prescription painkillers.
As he relates in this very candid and raw life story, painkillers were only part of the cocktail of substances Leben abused over the years as he battled the demons of his past and personal psyche. He pulls no punches relating his own past, his encounters with the UFC, Dana White and many other well-known names in the fight game.
Cliches aside, one motif running clear throughout this book is that Leben’s biggest and most formidable opponent has and always will always be, the man himself.
Success is often the worst enemy of the self-destructive and the end result is rarely pretty. Apart from the cumulative near misses, Leben’s life is not over yet - and I hope that in writing this shit down, it started a cathartic process for him. The self destructive path is usually winding and terminates at the same junction point for those following its well worn tracks.
February 17, 2017
Great book. For any book the job is to put the writers point across. I usually also judge the book if I am a bight fan of the person that when I started the book. This book does both. It is honest to a fault, warts and all. If you the proof of this can just be found in the introduction page of this book. Lebanon freely admits that Daniel J Patinkin wrote 100% of this book. Though Leben supplied all the material, and got final say on everything. He could have very easily, left this out and let Daniel become just another celebrity ghostwriter, however that is not Chris Lebens way. Both of them have done a great job on this "authorised biography". If have followed Chris' career and seen his interviews you will definitely hear his voice ringing out in this book.
Chris Leben is old school mma/brawler fighter. If you were looking for the stereotypical fight you would look no further that Chris Leben. He is from a poor, broken home background and live the rock star/fighter lifestyle of fighting hard and partying hard. The book deal covers all of Chris' issues from validation, to drinking and addiction.
Though I do not agree with many of Chris' views, the book like his fighting style is very must see/read. He holds nothing back. That talks about the key times and fights of his life be they in or out of the octogen. The book is gripping, challenging and most of all hard hitting. I loved every bit of it and would highly recommend it.
Chris Leben is old school mma/brawler fighter. If you were looking for the stereotypical fight you would look no further that Chris Leben. He is from a poor, broken home background and live the rock star/fighter lifestyle of fighting hard and partying hard. The book deal covers all of Chris' issues from validation, to drinking and addiction.
Though I do not agree with many of Chris' views, the book like his fighting style is very must see/read. He holds nothing back. That talks about the key times and fights of his life be they in or out of the octogen. The book is gripping, challenging and most of all hard hitting. I loved every bit of it and would highly recommend it.
November 24, 2016
Great no b.s. look at a legend
Chris Leben's career was amazing and at times heart wrenching to follow. He is one of a kind and this book lays it all out there. I hope he finds peace and solid footing, and a way to literally capitalize on the love his fans and the sport have for him. The book was good for how honest Chris was throughout, I just struggled with the over-writing. I wanted to hear at least a few passages in Chris's own words, not the words of a well-educated professional writer. Otherwise a great book.
Chris Leben's career was amazing and at times heart wrenching to follow. He is one of a kind and this book lays it all out there. I hope he finds peace and solid footing, and a way to literally capitalize on the love his fans and the sport have for him. The book was good for how honest Chris was throughout, I just struggled with the over-writing. I wanted to hear at least a few passages in Chris's own words, not the words of a well-educated professional writer. Otherwise a great book.
July 13, 2020
Probably one of the best autobios of MMA. Verrrrrry insightful and honest. Deals heavily with (inter-generational) alcohol addiction and how systems perpetuate it. Also lot of cool stories about Chris's role in MMA before and after TUF 1.
Great book!
Great book!
January 18, 2022
I enjoyed the story but I am also a huge MMA fan and have followed Leban’s career for many years. This book is for the MMA fan, casual fan, or even a person who has no idea who Chris Leban is and the exceptional fighter he was at the time.
The story is not so much about fighting, but a human interest story which happens to take place in the world of MMA. Chris’ honesty about his childhood and battles with addiction are relatable and if you know about the names he has fought, they are a who’s who of the fight world. This book, ultimately, is about overcoming the odds.
My one of two criticisms of the book is the Anderson Silva chapter and I find it very hard to believe he knew little to nothing about one of the greatest fighters in the world. Chute Boxe was legendary and Silva was considered on the best fighters outside of the UFC. Maybe it is true, but seemed like reaching to me.
Second, his rant about PEDs seems a lot like sour grapes and an attempt to justify their use in the sport. I get his need to do so but to compare it to other “unfair” advantages such as socio-economic factors and genetics was a hard sell.
Overall, I thought it was an interesting and well-written book.
The story is not so much about fighting, but a human interest story which happens to take place in the world of MMA. Chris’ honesty about his childhood and battles with addiction are relatable and if you know about the names he has fought, they are a who’s who of the fight world. This book, ultimately, is about overcoming the odds.
My one of two criticisms of the book is the Anderson Silva chapter and I find it very hard to believe he knew little to nothing about one of the greatest fighters in the world. Chute Boxe was legendary and Silva was considered on the best fighters outside of the UFC. Maybe it is true, but seemed like reaching to me.
Second, his rant about PEDs seems a lot like sour grapes and an attempt to justify their use in the sport. I get his need to do so but to compare it to other “unfair” advantages such as socio-economic factors and genetics was a hard sell.
Overall, I thought it was an interesting and well-written book.
April 2, 2022
I think what he did with his life coming from where he came from is monumental. He is as honest as he can be. My idea of honesty is not justifying continually rising out of the muck just to fall back into it. I kept reading to the end thinking he must break the pattern that was destroying him. But it never happened. I did not get the insight I could use in my own life.
Pointing fingers at the people that caused your problems will not lead to a content life. He definitely had a good writer that worded his bad behavior in a good light.
Eric Vale is an excellent narrator. If it would not have been for his narration I may not have finished the book.
Pointing fingers at the people that caused your problems will not lead to a content life. He definitely had a good writer that worded his bad behavior in a good light.
Eric Vale is an excellent narrator. If it would not have been for his narration I may not have finished the book.
November 22, 2022
I couldn't actually finish this book. I did read a lot of it but I think it just started to disturb me too much. How this guy is alive is a miracle in itself. Very honest and brutal which it is meant to be and I appreciate that. But man, you are responsible for creating your own life and at some point you have to realise you are just creating your own problems again and again. I am a fan of the guy and it is very interesting but it just got a bit too much. I really wish him all the best.
September 28, 2021
A balls out a retelling of one’s own life if ever there was one. Entertaining, honest and provocative, but also abrasive, confrontational, crude and lacking in substance more often than not.
This is not a pretty book but it’s not meant to be.
Though, it is a great book for fight fans who got to follow Chris. And I was one of those.
This is not a pretty book but it’s not meant to be.
Though, it is a great book for fight fans who got to follow Chris. And I was one of those.
August 14, 2022
This is one of the most intense books I have ever read. I went through a whole gamut of emotions while reading it: disturbed, entertained, excited, disgusted, thrilled, and more. I could not put it down and finished it in 3 days. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is into the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll genre, even if you have no familiarity with MMA.
November 20, 2022
Good read for fans of Leben. Hardly a classic, but Leben is open and honest about his struggles, and offers insight on his life and career in a depth that I didn’t know about.
I hope he’s doing well now
I hope he’s doing well now
November 30, 2022
A great, honest insight into the mma world. If you like behind the scenes stuff, this is great. A lot of sad stories in here and a true reality of what an mma fighter goes through. I appreciate that he didn't shy away from his steroid usage.
July 12, 2023
One of the more personable autobiographies from an MMA fighter. I've watched all of Chris's fights in the UFC and BKFC but was never a huge fan of him and after reading this book, I can say that I am a fan.
November 25, 2024
This was definitely not my genre, but I decided to give it a chance after reading Trigger and I am so happy that I did. This book was so engaging. Even if you are not an MMA fan, Chris’ story is extremely interesting.
October 22, 2021
Wild book
March 17, 2022
Honest and no punches pulled, a tale of natural god given talent not reaching his full potential due to constantly battling personal demons.
May 30, 2022
Cracker
March 1, 2023
Wow what a wild life this guy had so sad he grew up with out a dad are some one who cared about him or loved him this was all in all a good book and a wild ride through this guy's life
October 2, 2023
Great stories from an MMA legend.
August 20, 2016
I was checking out some stuff at my local library in Portland Oregon and im always looking at the stuff on display while im on the way out because i am a very curious person. i saw an mma fighter on the cover of a book so i walked around the check out stations to take a closer look. It was a fighter who i have actually been around. It was Chris Leben, a fighter who at the time i saw him in the bar i work at in portland years ago, was well known because he on the Ultimate Fighter tv show. anyway, i take years to read books because im always doing a million things but i finished this book in less than a week. It might be the first book i have read where the subject admits he didnt write the work. I worried a bit that this would effect how i heard Chris' "voice" while i read his tales. To my pleasure, it almost felt like i was hanging out with Chris throughout my whole experience with the book.
Its a really well written fun thing. I read a lot of mma articles and watch a lot of fights. and no matter how many interviews you watch, there is something special about having a fighter tell you in a book, what he was thinking at certain points of a fight that you have already seen. i call it, Technicolor Commentary. its insane. This book made me really sad and also made me laugh a lot. I was a little upset when i finished it because i just wanted more. I wanted to hang with Chris more. Books this honest i would imagine are tools that can help people understand why other people make certain decisions and help people be more empathetic. Chris used to annoy me a bit when he would be in the bar i worked at, super shit faced and loud. now that i feel i know his history a bit i feel like a dick and just cant wait to get a chance to say hello if i ever see him walking around. the biggest thing i took from it all is that he seems like a great great person. the character arc and turmoil and complete bad ass nature of Leben in this book makes me believe that there should be a movie made about his life. He was so honest about his skill level and place in the UFC throughout the book, thats rare and really refreshing. Anyway the movie based on this book ....it would easily be better than half of the mma movies out now if the right people are behind the production. so glad i found this book. definitely give it a read. i almost didnt pick it up because i have enough on my plate, but i am so so happy i did. today i returned to boxing. and I was miserable in class off of three hours of sleep and a few drinks the night before. I swear i thought of Chris dealing with a missing parent at a fight being broadcast on national tv all while dealing with withdrawal other times. Or just him competing at such a high level while living like a fucking rock star. I immediately stopped bitching and pushed on and decided to stop drinking hhaa. if he can go through the things he went through i thought, i know I can deal with my little problems in class. great stuff.
Its a really well written fun thing. I read a lot of mma articles and watch a lot of fights. and no matter how many interviews you watch, there is something special about having a fighter tell you in a book, what he was thinking at certain points of a fight that you have already seen. i call it, Technicolor Commentary. its insane. This book made me really sad and also made me laugh a lot. I was a little upset when i finished it because i just wanted more. I wanted to hang with Chris more. Books this honest i would imagine are tools that can help people understand why other people make certain decisions and help people be more empathetic. Chris used to annoy me a bit when he would be in the bar i worked at, super shit faced and loud. now that i feel i know his history a bit i feel like a dick and just cant wait to get a chance to say hello if i ever see him walking around. the biggest thing i took from it all is that he seems like a great great person. the character arc and turmoil and complete bad ass nature of Leben in this book makes me believe that there should be a movie made about his life. He was so honest about his skill level and place in the UFC throughout the book, thats rare and really refreshing. Anyway the movie based on this book ....it would easily be better than half of the mma movies out now if the right people are behind the production. so glad i found this book. definitely give it a read. i almost didnt pick it up because i have enough on my plate, but i am so so happy i did. today i returned to boxing. and I was miserable in class off of three hours of sleep and a few drinks the night before. I swear i thought of Chris dealing with a missing parent at a fight being broadcast on national tv all while dealing with withdrawal other times. Or just him competing at such a high level while living like a fucking rock star. I immediately stopped bitching and pushed on and decided to stop drinking hhaa. if he can go through the things he went through i thought, i know I can deal with my little problems in class. great stuff.
March 27, 2016
Originally posted at Book of Bogan
Whatever you might think of him, or of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts in general, you cannot help but believe that Chris Leben is a fighter. Having watched Chris Leben fighting on The Ultimate Fighter, and throughout his career as in the UFC, I was very interested to see what kind of journey this man had been on in his life. Let me say this - I had no idea.
I haven't read a lot of fighter biographies, but Chris's story of a man from humble beginnings who rose to compete in some of the most memorable matches in the sport, had something about it that drew me to him. Here was the every man, the guy who didn't have some of the natural gifts that other competitors did, but who showed up, and fought like hell, whether he was winning or losing.
What you did not see - at least until the tail end of his career - was what was going on behind the scenes. His fighting nickname - the crippler - is accurate in many ways. So much of this book is given over to the tragedies in Chris's life, and the crippling battles with depression, drugs and alcohol abuse that plagued him throughout his life.
Chris pulls no punches, and is brutally honest as he pours out his life story. The book is co-written, as by his own admission, reading and writing are not his greatest fortes.
While this book may not appeal to non-fans of the sport, it is hard not to appreciate the story of a man from very humble beginnings, who could have been brought down by his many brushes with the law, and with death itself. I always respected Chris' courage as a fighter, but this book revealed so much more of the man behind the bright red hair, and gave me a new respect for him as a man who has overcome much.
Whatever you might think of him, or of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts in general, you cannot help but believe that Chris Leben is a fighter. Having watched Chris Leben fighting on The Ultimate Fighter, and throughout his career as in the UFC, I was very interested to see what kind of journey this man had been on in his life. Let me say this - I had no idea.
I haven't read a lot of fighter biographies, but Chris's story of a man from humble beginnings who rose to compete in some of the most memorable matches in the sport, had something about it that drew me to him. Here was the every man, the guy who didn't have some of the natural gifts that other competitors did, but who showed up, and fought like hell, whether he was winning or losing.
What you did not see - at least until the tail end of his career - was what was going on behind the scenes. His fighting nickname - the crippler - is accurate in many ways. So much of this book is given over to the tragedies in Chris's life, and the crippling battles with depression, drugs and alcohol abuse that plagued him throughout his life.
Chris pulls no punches, and is brutally honest as he pours out his life story. The book is co-written, as by his own admission, reading and writing are not his greatest fortes.
While this book may not appeal to non-fans of the sport, it is hard not to appreciate the story of a man from very humble beginnings, who could have been brought down by his many brushes with the law, and with death itself. I always respected Chris' courage as a fighter, but this book revealed so much more of the man behind the bright red hair, and gave me a new respect for him as a man who has overcome much.
May 20, 2016
As a huge fight fan this was a book that was hard to put down. Leben holds nothing back and gives the reader a glimpse into his often rewarding and often crumbling life. It was a great mix of his life in and out of the cage throughout his excitingly hectic career.
March 1, 2016
This one is as honest as it gets. Loved it !
April 18, 2016
Def worth the read if you are a ufc, mma, martial arts fan. The story of The Crippler has a lot of ups and downs, and he doesn't hold back! Pick it up today, you won't be disappointed!
June 27, 2016
Surprisingly, interesting book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews