Cung Le
Cung Le
Ht: 5’10 – Wt: 185 – Age: 40
Born: Saigon, Vietnam
Fights out of: San Jose, CA, USA
Team: American Kickboxing Academy
Overall Record: 9-2
UFC Record: 2-1
Background:
Cung Le was the former Strikeforce middleweight champion as he utilized his blend of Sanshou and Taekwondo to knockout his opponents while also developing a burgeoning Hollywood acting career. Le, originally born in Vietnam, began his mixed martial arts career in 2006 following a successful kickboxing career. Le debuted in Strikeforce where he quickly won his first 5 fights all via knockout, including victories over UFC veterans Tony Fryklund, Jason Von Flue, and Sammy Morgan. Le moved on to face Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock in 2008, defeating the middleweight legend via 3rd round TKO. Le developed into Strikeforce’s biggest headlining star, but soon decided to vacate the title after pursuing an acting career. Le eventually made his return to MMA nearly a year and a half later to face fellow striker Scott Smith. Le started out strong, but soon faded in the later rounds, eventually being finished via 3rd round knockout for his first career loss. Le would get his revenge a few months later as he finished Smith in the 2nd round with a spinning kick to the body. Le would once again be preoccupied with acting duties before finally signing with the UFC in 2011. Le made his debut at UFC 139 against former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva. Le more than held his own in the 1st round, but soon tired down and was eventually finished via 2nd round TKO. Following the loss, Le was possibly considering retirement at 39 years of age, but he has hinted to UFC officials that he will continue fighting.
2011 Breakdown:
Le fought once in 2011 as he continued to spend much of his time on movie sets.
Le was initially set to debut against Vitor Belfort at UFC 139, but instead ended up facing Wanderlei Silva. Le immediately showcased his kicks and spinning backfists to UFC audiences as he forced Wanderlei to continually be on the defense. Le had Wanderlei rocked at one point, but could not put the former PRIDE star down. In the 2nd round, Le connected on some more strikes, but looked to be quickly tiring. Wanderlei was able to muscle his way inside where he landed some big knees and punches. Wanderlei continued to pour the pressure on as he dropped Le with another big knee that forced the referee to stop the fight. Le’s nose was revealed to be badly broken from one of the knee strikes.
2012 Forecast:
Cung Le is 39 years old with his prime fighting years behind him. Le has solid takedown defense and should be able to hold his own against the top middleweight strikers. His lack of size and reach make it difficult for him to maximize his overall striking prowess. He is still extremely effective with his kicks and spinning attacks, but he would likely struggle against most of the decent wrestlers or ground specialists in the UFC’s middleweight division. Le may end up retiring in 2012 due to his movie career, but he will likely end up fighting at least once more.
Cung Le Fight Record
Overall Record: 7-2
2008-2011 Record: 2-2
2011 Record: 0-1
Loss | Wanderlei Silva | Tko | Rd 2 | UFC | 11/19/2011
2010 Record: 1-0
Win | Scott Smith | KO | Rd 2 |Sforce | 06/26/2010
2009 Record: 0-1
Loss | Scott Smith | KO | Rd 3 |Sforce | 12/19/2009
2008 Record: 1-0
Win | Frank Shamrock | Tko | Rd 3 |Sforce | 03/29/2008
