- Cung Le
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Cung Le 
Cung Le in 2009Born May 25, 1972
Saigon, South VietnamOther names "The Human Highlight Reel" Nationality American Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) Division Middleweight Reach 69.0 in (175 cm) Style Sanshou, Taekwondo, Wrestling[2][3] Stance Southpaw Fighting out of San Jose, California Team American Kickboxing Academy, Universal Strength Headquarters Rank black belt in Taekwondo
blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-JitsuMixed martial arts record Total 8 Wins 7 By knockout 7 Losses 1 By knockout 1 Website http://cungle.com/ Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog Cung Le (Vietnamese: Lê Cung, born May 25, 1972) is a Vietnamese American Sanshou kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actor from San Jose, California currently competing in the UFC. He is the former IKF Light Heavyweight San Shou World Champion and has a professional San Shou record of 16-0 before moving to mixed martial arts (he also held an undefeated kick-boxing record of 17-0). He defeated Frank Shamrock to become the second Strikeforce Middleweight Champion before vacating the title to further pursue his acting career.
Contents
Early life
Cung Le was born in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. In 1975, three days before the fall of Saigon, Cung Le and his mother Anne escaped Vietnam by helicopter under heavy gunfire. He ended up in San Jose, California where early racial bullying inspired him to learn martial arts. His mother enrolled him in Taekwondo classes at the age of 10. Le has disciplines in a variety of martial arts, and was undefeated as a professional kickboxer with a record of 17 wins and 0 losses. He is a three time world champion in kickboxing and also coaches his own team, which is now 11–0 in team competition.[4]
Le began wrestling competitively at age 14 after being inspired by his all time favorite actor Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 1 and earned All-American Honors in his Junior year of High School.[5] He went on to wrestle for West Valley College in Saratoga, CA and won the California Junior College State Championship in the 158 lb weight class in 1990.[6]
Sanshou career
Le is undefeated in his professional Sanshou career (16–0).[7] He has won three US Open International Martial Arts Championships (1994, 1995,1996). In 1998 he won the Shidokan tournament championship.[8] He has also won 4 US National Championships (Orlando, Florida 1994, Dallas, TX, 1995, Baltimore, MD, 1997). He earned three bronze medals in his amateur Sanshou world competition compiling an overall amateur record of 18-3. He has been a three-time captain of the United States teams that competed and was the U.S. team captain at the World Wushu Championships in 1997 (Italy) and 1999 (Hong Kong). On December 15, 2001 he defeated Shonie Carter by unanimous decision in San Jose, California to win the IKF Pro Light-Heavyweight San Shou World Title.[7] In May 2003, Le entered into K-1 competitions where he garnered a 3–0 career record, including 1 knockout.[7]
Mixed martial arts career
Strikeforce
Le made his mixed martial arts debut at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, knocking out kickboxing rival Mike Altman at 3:51 of the first round. Le first met Altman in San Jose, 1999 in a kickboxing bout where he defeated Altman via a body shot in the third round. Three months later he faced KOTC veteran Brian Warren, knocking him out at 4:19 of the first round. Le had also faced Warren in a K-1 Sanshou bout where by he won by decision. At Strikeforce: Triple Threat on December 8, 2006, Le defeated UFC veteran Jason Von Flue in 0:43 of round 1 when the fight had to be stopped due to a cut from a knee strike. Le went on to fight Tony Fryklund who had just suffered a spectacular loss to Anderson Silva. Like Silva, Le beat Fryklund via KO late in the third round. Soon after Le fought Sammy Morgan at Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives where he won the bout via TKO.
On March 29, 2008, Le defeated a long time MMA veteran Frank Shamrock in a fight co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Le won via TKO when Frank Shamrocks' right arm was broken after a series of kicks (ulna broken), making him the new Strikeforce Middleweight champion.On September 17, 2009, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced that Le had relinquished his belt after securing a major motion picture deal.[9]
After 21 months since his last fight Le returned to Strikeforce to face Scott Smith at Strikeforce: Evolution on December 19, 2009. Le suffered his first MMA defeat, losing via KO at 3:25 of round 3. After the match, Le expressed interest in an immediate rematch with Smith. His wish was granted on June 26, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum in which Le defeated Smith via KO into the second round to avenge his only MMA loss.[10]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Le has said that it’s basically the UFC or bust for him at this point in his fighting career. “I know for a fact that if I do fight again, it’s going to be in the UFC. I’ve never fought in the UFC, but I would love to fight in the UFC. But right now because of my contract with Showtime and Strikeforce, hopefully things can work out because there is a show in San Jose that Cain Velasquez is the main event. I would love to fight in San Jose for the UFC....” said Le.[11]
Le was briefly linked to a matchup with Vitor Belfort on November 19, 2011 at UFC 139.[12] However, Belfort was removed from the bout and replaced by Wanderlei Silva.[13]
Acting career
Le co-starred in the live-action Tekken film, based upon the popular martial arts fighting game, as Marshall Law, released November 5, 2009 for the American Film Market. Le had supporting roles in the science fiction film Pandorum with Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, and Fighting, released in 2009 alongside Channing Tatum. He also starred in a Hong Kong martial art film Bodyguards and Assassins , which was released on December 18, 2009. This film was the first time he worked with and had a fight scene with Hong Kong martial arts superstar Donnie Yen.
He also appeared in a Vietnamese music show "Paris By Night 99 - Tôi Là Người Việt Nam" where he was interviewed by Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen. This show also marked one of the very few times he actually spoke Vietnamese.
Le is set to play a lead role in the upcoming action film Dragon Eyes with Jean-Claude Van Damme, produced by Joel Silver. According to Deadline, the movie will be based on the Akira Kurosawa classic Yojimbo and will be "MMA-themed".[14]
Personal life
Le has two sons with his ex-wife.[15] He and his second wife Suzanne were married in August 2009.[16] The couple had their first child together, a boy named Robert Eric Le, on June 21, 2010.[17]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Strikeforce
- Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time)
Kickboxing
- World Wide Draka Federation
- 1998 Draka Tournament Winner
- Shidokan Cup Bare-Knuckle Full Contact Karate
- 1998 Shidokan Cup U.S. Tournament Winner
- Black Belt Magazine
- 2007 Kung Fu Artist of the Year [2]
Amateur wrestling
- California Community College Athletic Association
- CCCAA State Championship (1990)
- CCCAA All-State (1990)
- West Valley College Wrestling Team Captain (1990, 1991)
Submission grappling
- Amateur Athletic Union
- AAU Espior Sambo National Championship (1989)
Professional Sanshou record
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Kickboxing record 16 wins (10 KOs), 0 lossesResult Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location 
San Jose, CaliforniaWin 16-0 Brian WarrenTKO K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Las Vegas I April 30, 2004 4 2:00 Las Vegas, NevadaWin 15-0 
Phil PetitDecision (Unanimous) K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas II August 15, 2003 4 2:00 Las Vegas, NevadaWin 14-0 Scott SheelyTKO K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas May 2, 2003 2 1:13 Las Vegas, NevadaWin 13-0 Shonie CarterDecision (Unanimous) Strikeforce December 15, 2001 5 San Jose, CaliforniaWon IKF World Light Heavyweight Sanshou Championship Win 12-0 Jeff ThornhillKO (Spinning Back Fist) Strikeforce September 15, 2000 3 San Jose, CaliforniaWon ISKA North American Light Heavyweight Championship Win 11-0 Mohammed Lamin KeitaDecision (Unanimous) K-1 USA Championships 2000 August 5, 2000 5 3:00 Las Vegas, NevadaDefended ISKA U.S. Light Heavyweight Sanshou Championship Win 10-0 Mike AltmanKO (Double Roundhouse Kick) Strikeforce May 13, 2000 3 0:30 San Jose, CaliforniaDefended ISKA Light Cruiserweight Sanshou Championship Win 9-0 
Na Shun GerileTKO (Scissor Kick) Art of War: China vs. USA 1999 3 Honolulu, HawaiiWin 8-0 Scott SheelyTKO (Broken Cheek Bone) Strikeforce 1999 2 0:59 San Jose, CaliforniaWon ISKA U.S. Light Heavyweight Sanshou Championship Win 7-0 Dan GarettKO (Body Kick) Strikeforce October 10, 1998 3 0:20 San Jose, CaliforniaWon ISKA Light Cruiserweight Sanshou Championship Win 6-0 
Minaru TaroKO (Head Kick) World Wide Draka Federation 1998 1 Los Angeles, California1998 Draka Tournament Final Win 5-0 
Gagik IsrelyanDecision (Unanimous) World Wide Draka Federation 1998 5 Los Angeles, California1998 Draka Tournament Semifinal Win 4-0 Arne SoldwedelKO (Right Hook) 1998 Shidokan Cup August 29, 1998 7 Chicago, Illinois1998 U.S. Shidokan Cup Final Win 3-0 Mohammed Lamin KeitaSubmission (Foot Lock) 1998 Shidokan Cup August 29, 1998 5 Chicago, Illinois1998 U.S. Shidokan Cup Semifinal Win 2-0 Ben HarrisKO (Spinning Hook Kick) 1998 Shidokan Cup August 29, 1998 2 Chicago, Illinois1998 U.S. Shidokan Cup Quarterfinal Win 1-0 Jason YeeDecision (Unanimous) 1997 Kung Fu Championships August 31, 1997 4 2:00 Orlando, FloridaLegend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown 8 matches 7 wins 1 loss By knockout 7 1 By submission 0 0 By decision 0 0 Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Win 7–1 Scott SmithKO (Spinning Kick to the Body And Strikes) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum June 26, 2010 2 1:46 San Jose, California, United States Loss 6–1 Scott SmithKO (Punches) Strikeforce: Evolution December 19, 2009 3 3:25 San Jose, California, United States Win 6–0 Frank ShamrockTKO (Broken Arm) Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le March 29, 2008 3 5:00 San Jose, California, United States Won Strikeforce Middleweight Championship Win 5–0 Sammy MorganKO (Body Kick) Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives November 16, 2007 3 1:58 San Jose, California, United States Win 4–0 Tony FryklundKO (Punch) Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni June 22, 2007 3 0:25 San Jose, California, United States Win 3–0 Jason Von FlueTKO (Cut) Strikeforce: Triple Threat December 8, 2006 1 0:43 San Jose, California, United States Win 2–0 Brian WarrenKO (Punches) Strikeforce: Revenge June 6, 2006 1 4:19 San Jose, California, United States Win 1–0 Mike AltmanKO (Punch) Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie March 10, 2006 1 3:51 San Jose, California, United States Film and television credits
Year Title Role Notes 1997 Sleight of Hand Victor Indie Film 2001 Walker, Texas Ranger Himself (1993 TV Series) Episode: "Legends" 2004 Kwoon Mort Ission Direct-to-Video 2006 Dark Assassin The Assassin Indie Film 2007 Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter Erik Film 2009 Fighting Dragon Le Major Film 2009 Pandorum Manh Major Film 2009 Bodyguards and Assassins Sa Zhen-Shan Film 2010 Tekken Marshall Law Major Film 2010 True Legend Militia Leader Film 2010 NCIS: Los Angeles Spectator (2009 TV series) Episode: "Hand-to-Hand" 2012 The Man with the Iron Fists Bronze Lion Major Film (post-production) 2012 Dragon Eyes Ryan Hong Major Film (post-production) 2012 The Grandmasters TBA Major Film (post-production) 2012 The Man with the Iron Fists Bronze Lion Major Film (post-production) 2012 Dragon Eyes 2: Fist of the Dragon Ryan Hong Major Film (announced) See also
- List of current UFC fighters
References
- ^ "Cung Le MMA Stats". Sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Cung-Le-14883. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ Knee Thrust. Blackbeltmag.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ [1]
- ^ The Official Cung Le Website. Cungle.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ Cung Le Makes MMA Debut Against Altman
- ^ State Champions. Caccwrestling.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ a b c The Official Cung Le Website. Cungle.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ Kungfu Magazine: Magazine Feature Article. Ezine.kungfumagazine.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ "LE STEPS DOWN; SHIELDS VS. LAWLER FOR 185 BELT". MMAWeekly.com. 2009-09-17. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=9607&zoneid=2. Retrieved 2009-09-17.[dead link]
- ^ Strikeforce: Cung Le TKOs Scott Smith. MMA Fighting. Retrieved on 2010-08-27.
- ^ "It’s UFC or Bust for Former Strikeforce Champ Cung Le". MMAWeekly.com. July 25, 2011. http://mmaweekly.com/its-ufc-or-bust-for-former-strikeforce-champ-cung-le. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ^ "Vitor Belfort says he's fighting Cung Le at UFC 139 in San Jose". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/25173/vitor-belfort-says-hes-fighting-cung-le-at-ufc-139-in-san-jose.mma. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- ^ "UFC 139 shakeup: Vitor Belfort out, Wanderlei Silva in against Cung Le". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/25329/ufc-139-shakeup-vitor-belfort-out-wanderlei-silva-in-against-cung-le.mma. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
- ^ Mike Moody. "MMA fighter Cung Le joins 'Dragon Eyes'". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a278715/mma-fighter-cung-le-joins-dragon-eyes.html.
- ^ "KNOXX's Cung Le talks about 2008 and his upcoming movies for 2009". KNOXXGEAR.com. 2008-12-20. http://knoxxgear.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/knoxxs-cung-le-talks-about-2008-and-his-upcoming-movies-for-2009/. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Exclusive Cung Le Interview". 2009-08-13. http://www.octagonbuzz.com/exclusive-cung-le-interview/. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ "Cung Le on his rematch with Scott Smith". KUNGFUMAGAZINE.com. 2010-06-25. http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=905. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
External links
- CungLe.com (official website)
- IKF San Shou
- Professional MMA record for Cung Le from Sherdog
- Cung Le at the Internet Movie Database
- Profile at K-1
- ConvictedArtist.com Interview with Cung Le
Preceded by
Frank Shamrock2nd Strikeforce Middleweight Champion
March 29, 2008 – September 17, 2009Vacant Le stepped down due
to filming obligationsTitle next held byJake ShieldsCategories:- Living people
- 1972 births
- American kickboxers
- Kickboxers from California
- Light heavyweight kickboxers
- Cruiserweight kickboxers
- American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from California
- Middleweight mixed martial artists
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- American Muay Thai practitioners
- American sanshou practitioners
- American taekwondo practitioners
- Vietnamese taekwondo practitioners
- Strikeforce champions
- People from Ho Chi Minh City
- People from San Jose, California
- American sportspeople of Vietnamese descent
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
- Strikeforce
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