MMA veteran, Chris Leben’s, upcoming Bellator debut has been cancelled due to a severe heart condition. Bellator President, Scott Coker, had announced in February that Leben had signed a multi-fight deal with the promotion and was expected to debut shortly there after. Coker said of the signing, “He’s got some physicals to pass, but pending the passing of all his physicals, he’ll be a Bellator fighter. From the very beginning, we made a public statement that we’re looking for the best free agents that make the most sense for our roster. … We have a great roster in place, we’re building fighters from the ground up, and when the free agents we want are available, we’ll go after them, as well.”
But Leben’s Bellator return has been nixed due to the recent information that has come out concerning his heart condition. Leben is said to have a condition that limits blood flow through his heart to what is estimated to be roughly 18 percent of what is considered normal.
A prepared statement regarding the health of Leben said:
“In early February of this year, UFC veteran Chris ‘the Crippler’/ Leben announced he was coming out of retirement to compete for Bellator MMA. As part of the signing process, and in preparation for a potential spring match-up, Leben underwent a battery of medical tests. Unfortunately, these test have revealed a serious condition in his heart. As a result, the slugger and fan favorite will likely never compete again.”
After hearing the news of Leben’s condition, Coker said, “We are saddened to hear of Chris Leben’s current health situation, and would have loved to see him compete inside the Bellator cage. A fighter’s health and safety is of the utmost importance to us as an organization. We wish Chris the best in his future endeavors and we are happy to help provide a platform for him to share his story with people around the world.”
During his MMA career, Leben was a semi-finalist on the inaugural Ultimate Fighter show, was twice the recipient of the ‘Fight of the Night’ UFC bonus, had four times won ‘Knockout of the Night’ and was the first WEC middleweight champion.
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