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The Crippler
- Cage Fighting and My Life on the Edge
- Narrated by: Eric Vale
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
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The Crippler
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Summary
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 10-year career in ultimate fighting, Leben became one of the most recognized figures in the sport, enthralling audiences around the world with his wild, headfirst 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.
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What listeners say about The Crippler
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Glyn
- 15-09-16
fascinating
hated him on TUF but i found myself massively rooting for chris
one of the best books ive read
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adam R.
- 22-05-22
Really enjoyed this!!!!
Really enjoyed this audio book. It’s gives a great insight in to Chris. The guy came from struggle and still managed to achieve what he did while battling his demons.
He’s one crazy mother fucker!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kenneth varley
- 23-06-22
Great lisern
by the end was proud of what you endured and where you are now Excellent
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Daniel Andrews
- 21-01-22
Good insight into the who and why of the Crippler
really enjoyed this.
a troubled soul trying to live in a world that doesn't recognise or understand his make up.
a true blend of chaos in human form from both nature and nurture.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- JAMES
- 17-03-18
Well written and fascinating story
Overall excellent fight autobiography I would say is marginally the best ufc book available. Worthwhile
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-02-22
Surprisingly good! great narration
I have always been a fan of boxing and later MMA. Learning about the lifestyle and upbringing of some of the top athletes is really interesting to me and this is a good insight into that. You find a lot of similarities with these types of athletes.
Great narration too.. sometimes it sounds like Chris is speaking to you.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Sherdog
- 11-08-20
A no holds barred look at one man's fighting life
Chris Leben is old skool. His principles, his story and his origins are old skool too.
His fight style was a fan favourite, high risk technical brawling.... knock out his opponent or get knocked out! When he was drunk, his antics were the sorts of thing that urban legends are made from and it's what made him a memorable member of TUF Season 1. This book is a brutally candid account of The Crippler's childhood, his fighting life inside and out of the cage, his often toxic relationships with people and his need for validation.
Barely literate to this day, Chris collaborated with Daniel Patinkin who wrote this and was so moved by the time they spent together that he was inspired to write an afterword for the book. That's very telling of the kind of person that Leben is and what comes across in this book is not only how complex a person he is, but how very deep he is too. That's a difficult thing to achieve as from the outside he is the sort of stereotype that people often associate with being a cage fighter; from a broken home, emotionally damaged, no money, no prospects, product of a broken care system and alcoholic dead beat parents.
Whatever you think of him, Chris Leben is part of the alumni credited with saving the UFC from financial ruin. He lays his soul bare throughout this book and it's obvious that he's paid a heavy price for his high risk attitude to life, sadly not all stories have happy endings.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-09-21
Great listen for any mma fan
Great listen for any mma fan. gives the inside scoop on the legend that is Chris Leben
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- darius ley
- 03-10-21
It's Chris Leben, what did expect?
Wasn't a fan of Leben the person, wasn't a fan of him as a fighter, to be honest I always wanted his opponents to beat him. After listening to this book I'm still not a fan of Leben the person but what a great ride, Leben has lived a wildlife and this story shares the dark side of mma for fighters like Leben.
Narrator is tremendous, and executes the story perfectly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 22-09-19
Raw honesty
Probably the rawest, most honest memoir I’ve listened to since Tyson’s story. Wish Chris nothing but happiness.
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2 people found this helpful