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Thread: How will Cung Le do in the Twilight of his career?

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by MysticNinjaJay View Post
    The fight is August 23rd and it's free on TV. Don't miss it! If you're new to MMA it should be a treat. I'd highly recommend Cung Le to Martial Arts fans who are watching MMA for the first time.
    whoops forgot about this thread! glad i didn't miss it...when you say it's free on tv which tv do you mean? in the US?
    I guess we are who we are

  2. #17
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    UFC Fight Night 48

    This Saturday in Macao...
    UFC Fight Night 48 preview: Cung Le taking it one (super) fight at time, starting with Michael Bisping in Macau
    By Jesse Holland @Jesse_Holland on Aug 18 2014, 12:00a


    Jayne Russell

    "I want to compete and be the main event. I love super fights, and Michael Bisping is a super fight to me. I plan to bring the lightning, followed by the thunder." --Cung Le


    "They might have the names, but you won't find anybody in UFC who can kick like Cung Le."

    That's what a fellow mixed martial arts (MMA) reporter told me the first time I ever got to see the Sanshou specialist in action. It was a few days before his Strikeforce middleweight title fight against Frank Shamrock back in 2007, and Le was pounding the pads for a handful of reporters.

    His last kick was one for the flashbulbs, and it landed hard enough to split the seam on the heavy bag.

    That didn't seem to faze Shammy leading up to the event, who was far too proud to take their fight to the ground and hunt for what was considered an easy submission victory. No, "The Legend" wanted to beat the challenger at his own game, and as a result, left San Jose's "Shark Tank" with a broken arm.

    That's the kind of power you can expect from the 42-year-old striker, who has yet to notch a submission victory in 11 professional fights. And I don't believe that streak will end when he throws hands opposite Michael Bisping in the UFC Fight Night 48 main event, which takes place on Fight Pass this Saturday (Aug. 23, 2014) in Macau, China.

    Why bother?

    Eight of his nine wins have come by way of knockout/technical knockout. And you can ask Rich Franklin the kind of torque Le can get behind his punches, too, if "Ace" can remember what actually happened the night he went stiff inside the Cotai Arena.

    Which makes you wonder why the Californian hasn't competed in nearly two years.

    At the tender age of 42, Le (9-2) has only fought, on average, once a year since 2007, denying himself the kind of momentum it takes to get into the division title hunt. But while the promotion celebrates the crossover appeal of stars like Ronda Rousey, Le was lighting up the silver screen long before anyone heard of "Rowdy."

    His biggest role to date was alongside Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster in 2009's Pandorum, which inevitably draws comparisons to the fictional Johnny Cage. Sure, he looks good onscreen, but he'll still come back to the fight game every 12 months to remind you this **** is for real.

    To that end, Le has always been more of a martial artist than a cage fighter, promoting his own amateur events in the Bay area for over 18 years. That's one of the many reasons why he was tapped to play the role of UFC President Dana White when the promotion held its first "Ultimate Fighter" series in China.

    Is it too late to make a run at the title?

    Probably, as the idea of trying to stay competitive in a division stacked with masters of the ground game makes it hard to envision a scenario where intelligent fighters don't opt for the floor instead of rolling the dice on the feet. That includes Bisping, who showed us in the Brian Stann fight that winning is still more important than looking good (making this claim hard to believe).

    And by his own admission, "The Count" would consider a new line of work if he went to sleep overseas.

    That means a Bisping loss is more important than a Le win, at least in terms of how the future of the division unfolds. The brash Brit has always been a tough out, but a crack at the 185-pound crown continues to elude him. I'm not sure Le even cares about the title at this stage of the game, because he's not even ranked in the top 15 and would have to put together an incredible run to even get into the discussion.

    Speaking of incredible runs, consider this:

    2008 Strikeforce Middleweight MMA Champion
    2005 Strikeforce Light Heavyweight San Shou Champion
    2004 ISKA Light Heavyweight K-1 Super Fight Champion
    2001 IKF Light Heavyweight World Champion
    2000 ISKA North American Light Heavyweight Champion
    2000 ISKA Light Heavyweight K-1 Super fight Champion
    1999 Art of War Light Heavyweight Champion (China vs. USA)
    1999 ISKA Light Heavyweight Sanshou Champion
    1998 ISKA Light Cruzer weight Champion
    1998 Shidokan Team USA Champion
    Three time Bronze Medalist in Wushu World Championships
    California Junior State Champion (158 lbs)
    AAU Freestyle and Greco Roman National Champion (163 lbs)
    California State High School Wrestling All-American.
    Black belt in Taekwondo
    Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

    Not too shabby.

    "One fight at a time," Le recently told reporters, which is how it has been since the beginning. And I wouldn't expect a win -- or a loss -- to change that approach to the fight game. That's probably for the better, as there may not be any more room in his trophy case for another belt.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    whoops forgot about this thread! glad i didn't miss it...when you say it's free on tv which tv do you mean? in the US?
    I just found out the other day that it's only available on UFC Fight Pass.


    The good news is that you can get a 7 day Free Trial and watch the fight!


  4. #19
    Well it was a good fight. Cung Le landed some decent shots but he took a beating. He's very tough for fighting with those swollen eyes.

    I think it's time for Cung Le to retire. He's had a great career.

  5. #20
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    Lots of shots of Cung's torn up face on the web this morning

    Fortunately, it probably won't hurt his acting career like that sort of face-mangling would for Gina or Ronda. Plus Cung has astonishing recovering powers, so I daresay he'll have his face put back together in no time. But still, it's always disappointing to see a friend lose.
    Michael Bisping finishes Cung Le, calls out Luke Rockhold
    Damon Martin
    FOX Sports
    AUG 23, 2014 11:10a ET


    Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC / Zuffa LLC

    Michael Bisping looked better than ever on Saturday in China.

    Michael Bisping outstruck and outlanded Cung Le for three rounds before finally finishing off the former Strikeforce middleweight champion with a knee strike and punches in the fourth round of their main event bout at UFC Fight Night in China on Saturday.

    Coming into the fight, Bisping was teetering on the edge between another run towards the top of the middleweight division or being resigned to gatekeeper status following an ugly loss to Tim Kennedy in his last trip to the Octagon.

    Bisping didn't disappoint in any way as he came out aggressive against Le from the opening bell and put a hurting on the 42-year Vietnam native with a high-volume, striking attack that he had no answer for until the fight ended in the 16th minute.

    In the early going, Bisping ripped Le's face with a number of combinations, but it was a simple jab that eventually popped the former champion in the eye that did the most damage. Le was wincing while trying to motion to the referee that he received a poke, but the replay showed that it was nothing more than a clean punch from Bisping that landed directly in his eye.

    The assault continued in the next two rounds with Bisping opening up two and three punch combinations and often times ending it with a kick, which was the signature move of his opponent heading into the fight. A second cut that opened on Le's face further restricted his vision and it seemed like just a matter of time before Bisping found the opening to put a stop to the bout.

    The fourth round started and Bisping knew he had Le in trouble. The British fighter slammed his left knee right up the middle when he engaged Le and that was all it took to send his opponent crashing to the mat in a heap. Bisping followed up as Le rolled to his side to avoid any further damage and the referee saw enough to stop the punishment before things got any worse.

    The victory came at just 57 seconds into the fourth round in what has to be one of Bisping's best fights over the last couple of years. Following the win, the outspoken Brit wasted no time launching into a title-fight tirade while also officially calling out the fighter who he believes should be his next opponent.

    "This is what I'm capable of and I'm capable of better," Bisping stated. "I want the title. There's an idiot named Luke Rockhold who doesn't stop talking about me. I think he's got the hots for me to be honest. I'm going to beat Luke Rockhold and then I'm taking the title."

    While rumors have placed Rockhold in a potential bout this November against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, there's no denying the heat in matching him up against Bisping instead. While he may not have the ranking that Machida does in the division, Bisping and Rockhold have a history together that could make sparks fly and sell tickets for whichever event the would land on.

    As for Le, when the cameras zoomed in on the veteran middleweight after the fight it showed the damage his face took courtesy of Bisping's constant attacks. It was a one-sided fight and a tough loss for the veteran fighter, but the fans in China certainly stood by Le whether he was the biggest winner or fell short as he did on Saturday night.

    Full results from UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

    Main Card:

    Michael Bisping def. Cung Le by TKO at :57 seconds, R4

    Tyron Woodley def. Dong Hyun Kim by TKO (strikes) at 1:01, R1

    Zhang Lipeng def. Brendan O'Reilly by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

    Ning Guangyou def. Jianping Yang by unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards)

    Preliminary Fights:

    Wang Sai def. Danny Mitchell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    Alberto Mina def. Shinsho Anzai by TKO (Strikes) at 4:17, R1

    Yuta Sasaki def. Roland Delorme by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:06, R1

    Colby Covington def. Anying Wang by submission (strikes) at 4:50, R1

    Royston Wee def. Yao Zhikui by split decision (29-28, 27-20, 29-28)

    Milana Dudieva def. Elizabeth Phillips by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #21
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    That's too bad. I was hoping for Cung to win.

    It doesn't seem like he plans to retire, but IMO, retiring might be the best option for him at this point. I would think that straddling the line between being an actor and a professional fighter is risky for both pursuits that require so much concentrated effort, especially the fighting. Straddling that line may not be as risky for Ronda, who at this point is THE top of the food chain in her division. Anyway, whether Cung chooses to retire from fighting or not, I wish the best for him.

  7. #22

    Cung Le went out like a warrior


  8. #23
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    Aw bummer

    Zuffa Statement on Cung Le

    September 30, 2014

    Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, released a statement today regarding UFC middleweight Cung Le:

    UFC middleweight Cung Le tested positive for an excess level of Human Growth Hormone in his system following his fight at UFC Fight Night in Macao, China on August 23. Due to his positive test result, Le was suspended by the UFC and notified that he violated the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and Promotional Agreement with Zuffa, LLC. The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents by our athletes. Le will serve a nine-month suspension and, at its conclusion, will need to pass a drug test before competing in the UFC again.
    This is very disappointing.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #24
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    Shouldn't be disappointed or surprised Gene, PED are the name of the game and have been for decades.
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

  10. #25
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    I hear ya, s_r

    PEDs pervade all sports nowadays and Cung, like so many athletes, has been accused of PEDs before. I'm still disappointed he got busted. Nine months is a long time at his age. It will be very difficult to come back after that. If he doesn't, this would be a most inglorious conclusion to his fight career.

    If UFC stepped up their drug testing, they'd probably lose half their league today.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  11. #26
    I'm shocked that Cung Le of all people would take Performance Enhancing Drugs. I always felt that he was one of the few true Martial Artists out there with integrity. His suspension by the way has been reported to be 12 months. I think his career is over. It would be such a shame for him to end his career in disgrace like this. A loss is one thing. You can lose gracefully but your name is forever tainted when you get caught cheating.

    I will still remember Cung Le as a humble and respectful guy who put on some amazing fights. HGH doesn't teach you how to throw spin kicks.

    But apparently it can make you look like this in your 40s.



    Such a shame.

  12. #27
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    HGH and steroids are the "fountains of youth".

    Please see here for how effective JUST steroids are:

    Just in case any is wondering HOW effective steroids are and why anyone would use them:
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/steroids-vs-natural/

    This part here in particular:



    The Study

    This 10 week study took a group of 43 men of normal body weight between the ages of 19 and 40 who all had some degree of weight training experience. These men were then split up into 4 different groups:

    Group 1 did NOT do any form of exercise, and did NOT receive any form of steroids or drugs. (Natural guys doing no weight training.)
    Group 2 did NOT do any form of exercise, but they received weekly injections of 600 mg of testosterone enanthate. (Drug users doing no weight training.)
    Group 3 DID exercise, but they did NOT receive any form of steroids or drugs. (Natural guys doing weight training.)
    Group 4 DID exercise, and they also received weekly injections of 600 mg of testosterone enanthate. (Drug users doing weight training.)
    All of their diets (calorie intake, protein intake, nutrient intake, etc.) were standardized according to each person’s body weight, recorded, verified and adjusted when needed. The 2 groups who WERE weight training (groups 3 and 4) followed the same supervised workouts each week.

    Meaning, with the exception of the fact that some groups were or were not weight training, and some were or were not using drugs… everything else (diet and training) was equal and even.

    The Results

    So… guess what happened?

    Group 1 (no exercise, natural) experienced no significant changes. No surprise there.
    Group 2 (no exercise, drug use) was able to build about 7 pounds of muscle. That’s not a typo. The group receiving testosterone injections and NOT working out at all gained 7 pounds of muscle.
    Group 3 (exercise, natural) was able to build about 4 pounds of muscle.
    Group 4 (exercise, drug use) was able to build about 13 pounds of muscle.
    So What Does This Study Show Us?

    Well, for starters, if you are natural and not doing any form of weight training, your muscle building results will suck. But we all knew that already.

    Second, the muscle building effects of steroids are pretty F-ing significant. Despite using identical workout routines and diets, the guys who were also receiving testosterone injections gained over 3 TIMES as much muscle as the natural guys in the same period of time. The average difference was 13lbs gained to just 4lbs gained.

    And third… here’s the most insane part of all. The group getting the testosterone injections and NOT doing any form of weight training whatsoever still gained significantly more muscle than the natural guys who WERE weight training. The difference was 7lbs gained to 4lbs gained.

    Let me repeat that again just in case it didn’t sink in. Guys using drugs and doing NOTHING built more muscle than the natural guys who were weight training 3 times per week. How crazy is that?

    Link to study:
    http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...99607043350101
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

  13. #28
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    Crazy is right

    Quote Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin View Post
    Let me repeat that again just in case it didn’t sink in. Guys using drugs and doing NOTHING built more muscle than the natural guys who were weight training 3 times per week. How crazy is that?
    That is so tempting. I spend way to much time sitting on my ass in front of a 'puter, trying to eek out my living nowadays. I could surely use another 7 lbs of muscle, but I doubt my heart could take it at my age now, which is a good thing in that it significantly reduces my temptation. The nagging question here is what happens when a PED is developed that has minimal negative side effects? Would you take it then? As many of you know, I do volunteer work in the drug intervention, and right now, we're living in the second greatest uncontrolled drug experiment in U.S. history with what is happening with medical marijuana. It's a totally new frontier, moving at a tremendous rate. While marijuana is not really considered a PED, the advances in PEDs are equally rapid because there's big money in it. Not like the old coke-runner drug cartels we see in B-rate Kung Fu movies, but major corporate funding from medicinal research and who knows how private sports franchises might figure into that?
    Gene Ching
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  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    That is so tempting. I spend way to much time sitting on my ass in front of a 'puter, trying to eek out my living nowadays. I could surely use another 7 lbs of muscle, but I doubt my heart could take it at my age now, which is a good thing in that it significantly reduces my temptation. The nagging question here is what happens when a PED is developed that has minimal negative side effects? Would you take it then? As many of you know, I do volunteer work in the drug intervention, and right now, we're living in the second greatest uncontrolled drug experiment in U.S. history with what is happening with medical marijuana. It's a totally new frontier, moving at a tremendous rate. While marijuana is not really considered a PED, the advances in PEDs are equally rapid because there's big money in it. Not like the old coke-runner drug cartels we see in B-rate Kung Fu movies, but major corporate funding from medicinal research and who knows how private sports franchises might figure into that?
    The number 1 market for Testosterone and HGH is the vanity market and we can thank Stallone for that (remember when he was caught with HGH while filing Rambo (4) and his interview with Time where he states that HGH is a fountain of youth and it is only a matter of time before it becomes as common as vitamins?).
    The reality is that it works and works really well and has minimal side effects IF done under medical supervision, ie: male HRT.

    I know a few people that are on it and the changes were noticeable within weeks of taking ( and i mean less than 1 month).

    Here is the thing, we all want to recapture our youth and with silliness like "40 is the new 30" and the mainstream media routinely showing men what they are SUPPOSED to look like, is it any wonder?

    Add to that the element of "former athletic prowess" that we all want to "have back" and you see the market - older men with money that wanna look good, feel good and BE good.
    Not just for their age but just as good as the youngins !

    Of course there are just as much ( if not more) guys in their 20's doing it to.

    Don't think it is just about looks, not it isn't.
    The fact is that Testosterone works in the practical aspect too, you FEEL Good and not just because you look lean and muscular but because you can DO all the stuff you either could do when younger or even better, do stuff you were never able to do at all !

    When we see our girlfriends or wives ( or both, LOL) swoon at the likes of Superman or Thor shirtless, we all get that " Hmmmmm..." moment going through our heads and some guys DO something about it and then the furstration and disappointment sets in when we realize we are NOT kids anymore and NO, muscle wont' build and fat won't burn like it used to.

    Then we realize the FACT that those guys got big and ripped with PED and that we CAN have those PED and that it is NOT illegal and, well...
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by MysticNinjaJay View Post
    I'm shocked that Cung Le of all people would take Performance Enhancing Drugs.
    thats why you will never obtain one pubic hair of cung les spirit. if you compete you do whatever it takes to win.

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