It was a close, back-and-forth fight that featured solid striking and a hard-fought ground battle, and it ended in the third round when Rosholt clamped on a head-and-arm choke and put Leben, the former Ultimate Fighter bad boy who was getting back into the Octagon for the first time in 2009 after serving a steroid suspension, to sleep.
"Finally a good fight inside the Octagon," said Rosholt, who entered the fight with a 5-1 MMA record but had lost his only previous UFC fight.
It will be exciting to see what Rosholt does next. He's one of the best pure wrestlers in all of mixed martial arts, and he looked against Leben like he has made real progress in his striking and his submissions. Rosholt could be a future star for the UFC.
Leben, whose record falls to 18-7, is no star, but he's a respectable fighter, and he's got plenty of good fights ahead of him in the Octagon. Tonight, however, Rosholt came out on top.
For full UFC 102 coverage, also check our UFC Twitter updates and full UFC 102 results.
UFC 102 Photos
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Randy Couture (Bottom) battles UFC fighter Antonio Nogueira (Top) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Randy Couture;Antonio Nogueira
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PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Randy Couture (Bottom) battles UFC fighter Antonio Nogueira (Top) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Randy Couture;Antonio Nogueira
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Antonio Nogueira (L) battles UFC fighter Randy Couture (R) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Antonio Nogueira;Randy Couture
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Antonio Nogueira (L) battles UFC fighter Randy Couture (R) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Antonio Nogueira;Randy Couture
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Antonio Nogueira (L) battles UFC fighter Randy Couture (R) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Antonio Nogueira;Randy Couture
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Chris Leben (L) battles UFC fighter Jake Rosholt (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Leben;Jake Rosholt
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PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Nate Marquardt (L) knocks out UFC fighter Demian Maia (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Marquardt;Demian Maia
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PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Nate Marquardt (L) knocks out UFC fighter Demian Maia (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Marquardt;Demian Maia
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Nate Marquardt (L) knocks out UFC fighter Demian Maia (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Marquardt;Demian Maia
Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Nate Marquardt (L) battles UFC fighter Demian Maia (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Marquardt;Demian Maia
Getty Images
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