‘TUF 1’ vet Chris Leben announces retirement after 22 UFC fights

After 22 bouts in the octagon, more than a few fights outside the cage, and a recent turn toward a “mellow, regular” life, UFC middleweight Chris Leben is retiring.

The Northwest-born brawler, who first emerged on the national stage as a troubled, but tough competitor on the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” hangs up his gloves with a career record of 22-11.

“It’s slowly registering,” Leben told MMAjunkie. “But the more I sit back and reflect, this is the right decision to make. It’s time to move on and make that next step.”

Leben, 33, said he was flirting with retirement prior to his most recent bout, which came at UFC 168 and ended when he uttered “I’m done” on the stool after a near-knockout in a single round against Uriah Hall.

“I was actually out,” he said. “I truly thought the referee had stopped the fight, and I was surprised when they started getting me ready to go out for the next round.”

The looming threat of another injury, combined with the realization that toughness wasn’t enough in today’s UFC, prompted him to make his decision official.

“As I get older, my body is starting to slow down a little bit,” Leben said. “It’s not that I’m the oldest guy, but I’ve been doing it for a while. Things are starting to slow down, and I want to get out while I can still use everything.”

The take-one, give-two slugfests of Leben’s heyday were shadowed by struggles with law and drug use. He was twice arrested for DUI and admitted an addiction to painkillers and alcohol. He also was twice caught for performance-enhancers following headlining fights. He entered rehab in 2012 and spoke about a transforming his life upon returning from a one-year suspension in December 2012.

Leben recently celebrated his two-year anniversary to wife Kaleena and said the support of his family was instrumental in keeping him on an even keel. He said will now turn his focus to coaching and other projects in his adopted hometown of San Diego.

“The sky’s the limit as far as what I can do,” he said. “For me, the main thing is remembering that just because I’m retiring doesn’t mean I’m dead.”

Leben leaves the octagon with several notable career achievements: He is the most experienced UFC middleweight with 19 bouts; at 185 pounds, his nine knockout or submission victories are the second most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (11); and his 1,791 total strikes landed throughout his UFC career rank first in middleweight history and third all-time behind Jon Fitch and Georges St-Pierre.

While many of his colleagues have quit only to wage a comeback, Leben thinks his choice will stick.

“You kind of know when it’s time,” he said. “And having been with the UFC for so long, if I’m not fighting in the UFC, I’m not fighting. Also, I’m not afraid to admit, we all have our time in the light. And it’s my time to move on to different endeavors.”