Chris Leben vs. Freddie Mac expected for late 2016 in San Diego

Chris Leben

Chris Leben, one of the most iconic figures from the all-important first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” saw his fighting comeback cut short by frightening news of a heart abnormality. So “The Crippler” is turning his attention to another foe.

“I’ve been focusing in real estate,” Leben told MMAjunkie. “I took two of my three tests. I’ve got one more test and my final exam, and I will be a licensed real estate agent.”

Leben, 35, hasn’t stepped into a cage since a December 2013 loss to Uriah Hall signaled the end of his UFC run after 22 official appearances. In the interim, the notoriously hard-living Leben, who now resides in California, cleaned up his lifestyle and began to set his sights on a return to active competition.

Earlier this year, Bellator offered him a platform to once again test his fighting skills, but Leben (22-11 MMA, 12-10 UFC) was told his heart wasn’t ready for the rigors of competition, due to a “life-threatening abnormality” to the left ventricle of his heart, which was “oversized,” “misshapen,” and “not operating properly.”

Leben said he was shocked by the news, especially considering the type of progress he was making in the gym.

“Believe it or not, I’ve never felt better,” Leben said. “It’s definitely kind of sidelined me. It was obviously unexpected. The doctors were blown away just as much as I was. But when something like this happens, you just kind of reassess things. Obviously, health is the No. 1 priority here – having a long, happy life.”

And so Leben is following doctors’ orders, which include prescription medication and a proper diet, and “The Crippler” has added in a few herbal remedies, as well. One doctor told the fighter he will need a new heart at some point, but Leben isn’t so sure that’s the right move right now.

“He did mention maybe you might need a heart transplant or something, and then he went on to say that you have to have a clean liver for over a year before you can even get on the list,” Leben said. “But then again, the other doctor – and it’s funny how that works – the other doctor said that she thinks I can make a recovery because my heart, when I actually did the stress test, actually got better. So she thinks that’s a sign that it’s still got some life left in it.”

While it would seem Leben’s chances of ever fighting again have effectively ended with this revelation, he’s not necessarily ruling it out forever. However, he also admits it’s just about the furthest thing from his mind right now.

“We’ll see,” Leben said. “Right now, this is the big fight, trying to get this heart thing under control, or at least reverse the flow of the way it’s been going.

“My goal is my physical and mental health right now.”

Leben said his primary focus now is on promoting his recently released memoir, “The Crippler: Cage Fighting and My Life on the Edge,” which fans can order directly from his Facebook page in order to receive an autographed copy, as well as completing his real estate license. And despite what would seem to be just another setback in the long, hard road of Leben’s life, he seems to be remaining surprisingly optimistic.

“Believe it or not, I’ve been through so much (expletive) that it’s just another thing that I’ve got to deal with,” Leben said. “It kind of sucks because I’m finally 100 percent sober.

“I’ve been staying sober. I’m on my diet, and then I don’t get a fight, which sucks, because I was excited to see how I was going to perform. But I’m just looking to have the smoothest, most relaxing, happy life possible.”

Leben is open to a wealthy benefactor or two, of course (“If someone decided they want to send me a ton of money, I’m cool with that, too,” he joked). But soon, the man once known as “The Cat Smasher” will be happy to help you find the San Diego-area home of your dreams.

“Who doesn’t want to go look for houses with Chris Leben, right?” he asked.

To hear more from Leben, check out Episode No. 50 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan.”