The Crippler:
Cage Fighting and
My Life on the Edge
Sex, drugs, and mixed martial arts! This wild book recounts the mind-blowing autobiography of one of the most colorful figures in the history of the UFC. Chris "The Crippler" Leben rose from the backwoods and slums of northwest Oregon to become a world-class fighter, but along the way he hit plenty of bumps: time in jail, opioid addiction, psychiatric crises, and more.
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[Published in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing]
Praise for
The Crippler
"Chris Leben is one of the most colorful and forthright characters the UFC has ever seen, and The Crippler—while not always pretty—is an incredible look behind the scenes at a legendary fighter who has admittedly battled his share of demons over the course of a very memorable career. Chris holds nothing back, and his brutal honesty makes it hard to put this book down." —USA Today
"Instead of whitewashing those personal failures into a hero's journey, Leben's book reads as a mix of war stories and regrets, an unvarnished look at the life behind a name that helped put MMA over to the reality-TV-watching public, and a confession." —Vice
"Patinkin does an excellent job of capturing Leben’s voice. In very short order, the reader will find themselves hearing Leben’s raspy voice in their head as they read. . . . Leben’s memoir is a good read. It’s Chris Leben, warts and all." —MMA Junkie
"The brutal honesty about [Leben's] shortcomings makes for a frustrating yet empathetic story. . . . Many readers, even those outside the MMA fanbase, will find this personal account of a flawed fighter meaningful." —Library Journal
“[The Crippler] indulges readers, whether a fan of MMA or not, in the life of an individual’s struggle to teeter on extremes and, in the end, find their way closer to the fulcrum. . . . This book is well deserving of all five possible stars.” —MMA Latest