Cung Le

Cung Le (1972-    ) is a former International Kickboxing Federation Lightweight World Champion, mixed martial artist and actor.

Born on May 25, 1972 in Saigon, South Vietnam, he and his mother fled Vietnam by helicopter one week prior to the Fall of Saigon.  They eventually settled in San Jose, California.  Cung Le was raised in a single parent household since his father had remained in Vietnam where he was imprisoned for many years by the communist regime after 1975.  At the age of 10, his mother enrolled him in Tae Kwon Do classes.  From the age of 14, he began competing in wrestling.  While at West Valley College in Saratoga, California, he won the 1990 California Junior College State Championship in the 158 pound weight class.  At 19, he began training in Sanshou and kickboxing.  He went on to hold a 17-0 professional kickboxing record and became a three-time professional kickboxing world champion.

As a mixed martial artist, Cung Le won in the following competitions; Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night.  He was recognized by Inside MMA with the 2008 Fight of the Year Bazzie Award versus Frank Shamrock and by MMAFighting.com with the 2012 Knockout of the Year versus Rich Franklin.  On January 20, 2015, Cung Le announced his retirement from MMA.

In addition to his successful career as a professional athlete, Cung Le has also enjoyed a successful career in films.  He made his acting debut in Tekken (2009), an American martial arts film.  Cung Le's other films include Pandorum (2009), Fighting (2009), Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), Dragon Eyes (2012), The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) and Puncture Wounds (2014).  In 2010, he appeared on the popular Vietnamese-American music video series produced by Thuy Nga, Paris By Night 99 - Toi La Nguoi Viet Nam, where he was interviewed by famous Vietnamese-American personality, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen.

Cung Le is a father of three children.  His two oldest children were from his first marriage.  Cung Le remarried in 2009 and became a father for the third time the following year.

Link(s):

Cung Le Official Website