I don’t reckon I’m the only person thinking “What’s next for Chris Leben?” after watching his fight against Uriah Hall on Saturday night at UFC 168.

Leben was nearly knocked out in the final moments of the first round, then during the break between rounds Chris said to his corner “I’m done” and the referee waved off the fight declaring Uriah Hall the winner via TKO.

“The Crippler” just hasn’t looked sharp enough in his last few fights and the UFC can’t keep giving him chances forever. The 33-year-old is currently on a four fight losing streak, which is more then enough for the promotion to let him go. I mean lets be honest, fighters have been released for much less.

That said, Leben does have a fighting style that appeals to many fans, he always gives it his best shot and isn’t afraid to stand and bang. This reckless fighting style can take a lot out of a person physically and I’m worried that this may be one of the causes behind Leben’s recent slump.

Has he simply taken too much punishment in the cage? Has a history of drug and alcohol addiction taken it’s toll? Or is Chris Leben simply not the fighter he was 2-3 years ago? These are all questions that come to mind when I try to figure out why “The Crippler” is having such a bad time in the Octagon.

I’m not even sure if Chris could tell you why he hasn’t won a fight since July 2011, it’s not like fighters train to lose. His matchup against  Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132 was stylistically perfect as “The Axe Murderer” loves to exchange on the feet and throw bombs. We all knew the fight wouldn’t last long, and we were right, Leben scored a knockout victory in 27 seconds of the very first round.

Although it was short, I enjoyed watching the fight between Leben and Silva, however these types of fights are rare. A new breed of martial artists is emerging and they realize that taking unnecessary damage and throwing leather is not always the smartest way to win fights. Unless Chris can elevate his striking to an elite level, I can’t see how he’ll be able to cope with this technical generation of fighters and attempt a serious title run.

We’ll have to wait and see what the UFC decide to do with “The Crippler”. They have stuck behind him for so long that I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him fight in the octagon again.

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