Chris Leben’s collection combines a samurai on his back, a green mask-like face on his forearm, a phoenix along his left arm, a lotus on his right chest and a Buddha with flowers on his right arm. Leben has said he likes Japanese-style tattooing. Fighters Only covered several pieces in April 2009; later UFC photos show some of them at weigh-ins. The images are snapshots from different years, not a current inventory.
The samurai and red lettering on his back
An armored Japanese warrior fills a large central area of Leben’s back. The figure holds a sword upright in one hand and a severed head in the other. Red Japanese lettering runs vertically near his left shoulder blade; Fighters Only identified it as “bushido,” the warrior’s code of honor. Canadian Press reporting carried by Sportsnet also described the image as a samurai holding a severed head.
The studio photo shows the placement clearly: shaded armor and the figure take up one side, while the red lettering stands apart on the other. Those are reported identifications; the photographs don’t add a personal explanation from Leben.
The green mask-like face on his forearm
A large green face runs lengthwise along Leben’s forearm, with bulging eyes, a pointed nose and an open mouth showing teeth. Dark forms sit above the face, while red and black accents break up the green. “Mask-like” describes its appearance; the reporting here doesn’t name a specific character.
The close-up brings out more detail than a wide event photo, though the shorts and torso behind the arm make the forearm’s placement easier to see than its full outline.
The phoenix flowing down his left arm
Fighters Only described the phoenix as running from Leben’s chest and shoulder toward his forearm. In this close view, green feathers overlap orange and red sections, with dark outlines separating the shapes. The curves follow the arm rather than forming a straight panel.
This older studio photo captures unfilled outlines between some colored areas. It shows the tattoo at that moment, not necessarily its present appearance. The bird is identified in the reporting, but Leben’s reason for choosing it isn’t established here.
The lotus on his right chest
A lotus covers Leben’s right chest, opposite the phoenix on his left. The UFC 138 weigh-in photo shows layered orange-red petals with darker green areas around them. The flower has a rounded outline, but the overlapping petals keep it from looking like a plain circle.
A studio portrait shows the lotus as an outline, while the later weigh-in image shows color. The photos establish different appearances at different times, but not when the color was added or who made the tattoo. Leben hasn’t given a specific explanation for the lotus in the reporting cited here.
The Buddha and flowers on his right arm
The right-arm design is visible in the face-off with Mark Munoz. A Buddha figure sits high on Leben’s upper arm, with flowers and flowing lines continuing down the limb. Fighters Only described the work in April 2009 as being at the outline stage, naming a Buddha, wind and flowers, plus a lotus on the back of the hand. A later UFC photo shows more color and shading.
The Buddha’s calm face contrasts with the back warrior and the exaggerated green forearm figure. He has contrasted the pain and dedication of getting tattooed with simply changing his hair color. The Chats & Tatts conversation below gives more of his voice; it isn’t a complete tour of every design. For another large illustrated back piece, see Alessio Sakara’s tattoos.