Ultimate Fighting Championship appearance.
Black Combat announced Wednesday that Leben will face off Yoshihiro Akiyama at its Black Combat 17: Vantablack event on November 21 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. According to the promotion, the match will be Akiyama’s retirement fight.
Chris Leben and Yoshihiro Akiyama first fought at UFC 116 in 2010
Leben (22-12) and Akiyama (16-7) met for the first time at UFC 116 in 2010. Leben accepted the match on short notice and defeated Akiyama with a triangle choke in the third round.
Leben, 46, has not competed in MMA since December 2013, when he lost Uriah Hall. The UFC veteran announced his retirement from MMA in January 2014, planning to focus on coaching. He later signed with Bellator in 2016, but his comeback was put on hold after medical tests revealed a serious heart condition.
Leben finally competed in bare-knuckle boxing, coming up against his last match Quentin Henry in February 2021.
Akiyama must now end his career against the man who handed him his first UFC loss.
Yoshihiro Akiyamathe pension fight will be met Chris’s life
BLACK COMBAT 17: VANTABLACK on November 21st. https://t.co/VrW3PwxuXI— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews)
October 7, 2026