Retired UFC middleweight Chris Leben was today sentenced to 120 days in custody and three years’ probation after pleading guilty to multiple charges in connection with a June break-in at the San Diego apartment he once shared with his estranged wife.
Leben, 35, was sentenced today but was not taken into custody, San Diego Deputy District Attorney Matthew Dix today told MMAjunkie. Instead, he is to report to a San Diego county jail on Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. to serve 30 days of his sentence, after which he’ll serve 30 days of work furlough, meaning he is allowed to check out of the jail during the weekdays to work. If he stays out of trouble, he will receive a good behavior credit and will be transferred to probation, Dix said.
The fighter is also barred from contact with his estranged wife, Kaleena, for 10 years after the judge issued a new 10-year protective order, Dix said.
Leben violated a previous protective order when he broke into the apartment, causing $3,000 to $4,000 in damages, Dix said. Police later found an AR-15 assault rifle they said belonged to Leben in a maintenance room near the unit. There reportedly was a .45 caliber handgun on Kaleena’s bed. (Leben said the rifle belonged to Kaleena.)
The couple both claimed the other was abusive during the relationship in interviews with NBC San Diego. Leben professed his innocence to the charges.
A former resident of Hawaii, Leben initially faced 16 criminal counts, including one felony count possession of an assault weapon and 11 counts of disobeying a court order. After a plea agreement was reached, that time was reduced to 365 days, but he wound up sentenced to 120 days.
Leben (22-12 MMA, 12-10 UFC) formally announced his retirement in January 2014 after 12 years as a professional. A popular but troubled brawler, he was twice arrested for DUI and was twice suspended by the UFC for failed drug tests, including one for prescription painkillers.
