Chris Leben receives yearlong suspension after failed drug test

Popular middleweight Chris Leben has failed his second drug test while serving as a member of the UFC roster and will be suspended from competition for a year based on the transgression.

According to the UFC, Leben tested positive for opiates (Oxycodone/Oxymorphone) after his loss to Mark Munoz earlier this month in headlining action at UFC 138. “The Crippler” previously tested positive for PEDs (Stanozolol) in 2008 after a bout also held in England as was the match-up with Munoz. The UFC oversees drug testing when stopping in the U.K. due to the region’s lack of an athletic commission.

Leben’s Emotional Reaction to UFC 138 Loss Caught in Video Blog

“I like Chris and I want him to do well, but based on his actions, he’s been suspended for one year,” said Dana White in a public statement through the UFC’s website. “If he needs professional help, we are going to be there for him. We want to see him succeed not only in the Octagon but in his personal life.”

Leben also spoke out, apologizing for letting his fans, friends, family, and employers down, adding, “I’m learning that I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. I can’t succeed in the Octagon or in life behaving this way. I’ve got to make some real changes over the next year and I’m going to focus on getting my life and career back on track. Again, I’m sorry to the UFC and fans that’ve supported me since my days on The Ultimate Fighter.”

All twenty competitors taking to the cage on the November 5 event with Leben marking the card’s lone positive result.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC