On his Twitter account, Le hinted that he hopes to head back to the Octagon sooner than later, writing, “I’ll be ready to fight soon,” before adding that his plan was for a return this year. No names or dates were mentioned.

Le’s fight came at UFC 139 against Wanderlei Silva who handed him a loss, and a broken nose, for his efforts. The bout was awarded a Fight of the Night distinction as the two exchanged in a serious all-out-brawl for nearly ten minutes before Silva stopped Le with strikes.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Unfortunately, according to Belfort as well as his bosses at Zuffa, “The Phenom” has been forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury that will keep him sidelined until December. However, rather than sacrifice the any potential entertainment value by filling Belfort’s absence with a grappler, the UFC brass has come through with an equally exciting replacement in the form of Brazilian bomber Wanderlei Silva.

Though he is considered to be one of the nicest individuals in MMA outside of the ring, “The Axe Murderer” has a legendary reputation for both ferocity and dishing out damage to his opponents inside of it. His career features past knockouts of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (twice) and Keith Jardine, as well as wins over Michael Bisping, Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson.

Le should have his hands full given Silva’s style though is no slouch when it comes to striking thanks to his career as a world-class San Shou kickboxer. The former Strikeforce 185-pound champion is 7-1 as a Mixed Martial Artist with seven wins via TKO including victories against Tony Fryklund, Scott Smith, and Frank Shamrock.

UFC 139 takes place in Le’s hometown of San Jose and features additional fights including Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story, Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber, and recently announced all-star affair between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Henderson.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the bout was first reported on Belfort’s official website.

The inconsistent “Phenom” returned to his winning ways at UFC 133, knocking out Yoshihiro Akiyama in just under two minutes and taking home “Knockout of the Night” honors. Prior to that victory, Belfort was famously KO’d by Anderson Silva with a front kick to the face. Heralded as having some of the fatest hands in the sports, 14 of Vitor’s 20 career victories have come by way of (T)KO.

Belfort could have his hands full with Le though, who is no slouch on his feet either. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion went undefeated in 17 career kickboxing bouts and has won seven of his eight MMA bouts, all by way of (T)KO. In June 2010, Cung avenged the only loss of his career, finishing Scott Smith with a spinning back kick followed by a flurry of strikes.

UFC 139 is scheduled for November 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Also on the card is a bantamweight bout with title implications as Urijah Faber will meet Brian Bowles.

*PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN/STRIKEFORCE*

“Cung is going to fight in Strikeforce,” Coker explained in a conversation with MMAJunkie after this past weekend’s “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson” event while adding he hoped Le would agree to compete at a yet-to-be-announced December show.

“At some point, when we have more crossovers in the future…but right now, nothing’s changed,” Coker continued.

The news appears to have come as a surprise to Le himself who responded through his Twitter account by publicly agreeing with a fan who said staying in Strikeforce would be akin to wasting the rest of his career.

Le has only fought once a year since 2008 due to a growing film career with his last bout coming in June 2010 against Scott Smith where he stopped “Hands of Steel” with a kick to the body. Prior to the performance he’d gone 6-1 in MMA after an undefeated run as a kickboxer.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Now fans have an answer.

The issue was addressed by Le in a recent conversation with MMAWeekly where he stamped his future in fighting with an “if” related to a fairly big requirement.

“I know for a fact that if I do fight again, it’s going to be in the UFC,” began the stand-up artist with the striking skills to paint the Sistine Chapel. “I would love to fight in San Jose for the UFC and for Dana White and Lorenzo (Fertitta).”

UFC 139 is rumored to be taking place on November 19 in the familiar stomping ground of Le’s current employer with a headlining bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

Le made it clear he meant no disrespect to Strikeforce, the organization all eight of his MMA fights have occurred in, but was ready to finish his career on the sport’s biggest stage. He also appeared at ease with his decision regardless of how the future unfolds.

“If it happens, great, I’m training right now,” said the 7-1 former champion. “If it doesn’t, I’m going to be in good shape for my next movie.”

A decorated, undefeated San Shou kickboxer as well, Le has stopped all seven of the opponents he’s beaten in Strikeforce with strikes including wins over Frank Shamrock and most recently Scott Smith in mid-2010.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

Derrick Burnsed vs. Bobby Stack

At 5-0 Burnsed is clearly is doing something right in the ring even if he’s never beaten anyone of particular note. As such, Stack will be his biggest test to date since he’s 2-0 in Strikeforce, but it also needs to be pointed out he hasn’t stepped in the promotion’s cage since November 2008. I think Burnsed will pull out the win since he appears to be a submission-based fighter who is comfortable tapping opponents from his back. He also seems to have decent power as well. Stack has gone to decision in his last three fights so it stands to reason the same could occur at tonight’s event, especially with the ring-rust brought on by his recent inactivity. That means 15-minutes’ worth of opportunities for Burnsed to latch onto his limbs or neck and finish things off along the way.

Winner – Derrick Burnsed via Submission Round 2

Gareth Joseph vs. Yancy Madeiros

Fans unfamiliar with Madeiros should keep a watch out for the rising middleweight. At 8-0 he’s shown himself to possess both knockout power and solid grappling skills. Joseph hasn’t fought in a year so he definitely appears to have his work cut out for him. However, three of his four professional wins have been the result of a first round knockout, so it’s not as if he can’t land a punch at some point in the fight that sets up the beginning of the end for “Frisson”. I think the involved match-up should lead to a stoppage and result in a very entertaining scrap. However, Strikeforce has a history of ending broadcasts early with undercard bouts left on the cutting room floor, so I’m doubtful any viewers at home will ever get a chance to see it.

Winner – Yancy Madeiros via TKO Round 2

Bret Bergmark vs. Vagner Rocha

If winners were determined by “best nickname” then Bret “The Angry Hick” Bergmark would be one helluva tough draw to beat. Unfortunately for him, outcomes are typically influenced by individual ability and in that regard I think Rocha has the edge. He’s 5-0 since debuting in February 2009 (including a pair of wins in Bellator). Though I suspect he’ll be prepared based on his Cesar Gracie JJ training partners, the 36-year old Bergmark has only fought once in the last 4 1/2 years and should struggle to maintain pace in all areas, especially when rolling on the mat. He has the proverbial “puncher’s chance” but other than that I think Rocha should be able to maintain a perfect record in the ring.

Winner – Vagner Rocha via Submission Round 1

Chris Cope vs. Ron Keslar

Keslar has won his last four fights while Cope is coming off the first knockout loss of his career so it seems likely their mindsets will be drastically different entering tonight’s bout. It’s an interesting match-up of styles in that Keslar appears to focus on mat-work while Cope on stand-up, but I’m not overly confident the pairing will lead to much more than a plodding decision win for one of the two. Neither has shown a great talent for finishing opponents and both are making their Strikeforce debuts. I can see there being a lot of “feeling out” on their feet, especially from Cope, and lay-and-praying on the ground, especially from Keslar, based on their particular skill-sets and the fact each will be attempting to win on the biggest stage they’ve competed on thus far in their young careers. Beyond that I think it’s a coin-flip as far as determining who will win. Since, at least according to the original line-up and fact it’s a catch-weight bout, Cope was a late replacement I think he’ll gas out at some point and end up spending the bulk of the bout on his back.

Winner – Ron Keslar via Decision

Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy

I’m a fan of both fighters for different reasons and am looking forward to their bout even if Healy isn’t a particularly “sexy” opponent for a top divisional contender like Thomson to be facing since he may not be known to a lot of fans. However, “Bam Bam” shouldn’t be dismissed because his only appearance in the UFC was a loss or based on his less-than impressive overall record. The fact is Healy is a terrific grappler with a ton of experience and wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, and Dan Hardy earlier in his career. He’s also won three consecutive fights and five of his last six (with a decision loss sandwiched between the dubyas). Thomson is a solid striker with above-average wrestling to back his punches/kicks/knees up and had won eight fights in a row before losing the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship via decision to Gilbert Melendez last December.

I expect this particular match-up will feature fireworks from both and have the crowd on their feet at more than one point. Look for Healy to shoot in to keep Thomson on his back for as much time as possible with “Punk” firing away with knees, or punches from the sprawl, to make Healy think twice. I think Thomson will win based on athleticism and having more ways to beat his opponent than can be said in return. Healy has been knocked out, submitted, and out-pointed a handful of times while the former 155-pound champ has never been tapped out and only TKO’d once in nineteen in-ring appearances. That being said, I also won’t be surprised if Healy is able to pull off an upset decision win because he’s certainly talented enough to do so.

Winner – Josh Thomson via TKO Round 3

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le

I can hardly wait for the high-level jiujitsu and wrestling ability that will undoubtedly be on display when Smith and Le lock horns in the cage! I can also hardly wait for pigs to fly! Now that I have your attention, based on their respective styles it’s fairly obvious 99% of this bout will take place while standing with the other 1% reserved for whoever gets knocked down/out first. Le’s problem in their original match-up was conditioning and, to an extent, his “warrior spirit”, as I recall him being en route to a decision win but still moving forward while gassed out rather than playing it safe and letting the third round expire. He won’t be coming off a 21-month break from action while filming movies rather than training so I don’t think cardio will be a problem, and I also believe Le to be intelligent enough to have learned from his previous loss to Smith. As such, I think he’ll be able to seal the deal against his fellow hard-hitting Californian this time around. Then again, Smith is known as “Hands of Steel” for a reason, and he’s impossible to count out in any fight based on his previous performances in the ring.

Winner – Cung Le via Decision

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Jan Finney

Records and talent aside, how could anyone ever pick a “Cuddles” to beat a “Cyborg”? Moving on, as I said in this week’s “Grappling with Issues”, though Santos is unlike any female striker let alone female fighter seen thus far in women’s MMA, “Finney has been in the ring against a few females with above-average hands (Erin Toughill for example) and remained conscious throughout save for a single loss to Julie Kedzie.” I don’t think she’ll immediately be overwhelmed by Santos, but it seems pretty clear based on both female’s overall abilities she will eventually be. “Cyborg” has been out of action since January and will be looking to hang a new head in the Santos Family Room, as her husband Evangelista did ten days ago in regards to Marius Zaromskis, so expect some hate-filled flurries to end Finney’s night.

Winner – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos via TKO Round 2

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

I could break down the greatness that is Emelianenko but instead I’ll leave it at a single word – “Fedor”. Werdum is a world-class competitor and currently has one of, if not the, best BJJ games in the heavyweight division. Even if Emelianenko knocks him down he’s still a major threat to procure an armbar or triangle-choke from the bottom. He also has underrated striking that continues to improve on a per-fight basis thanks to his time with Chute Boxe. “Vai Cavalo” has only been finished once in eighteen fights and, though Fedor clearly has knockout power, he doesn’t have the speed or diversity of strikes that led to Junior Dos Santos’ TKO win over Werdum at UFC 90. Werdum also appeared to be in perhaps the worst shape of his career entering the bout, and given the opportunity attached to potentially beating Emelianenko that won’t be an issue this time around.

As far as how I see the actual fight unfolding, I have a feeling Werdum will try to keep things standing for the first round unless he sees an opening to work on Emelianenko from the top. He’s got good power to back up his Muay Thai techniques, including the option of leg kicks to maintain distance, and Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski showed promise when trading with the stoic Russian before eventually falling victim to him. The reality is that Fedor hasn’t gone to decision in five years and it could be interesting to see how his less-than toned body reacts if Werdum is able to make him work for fifteen minutes. However, he hasn’t seen the judges’ scorecards in that long a period because of how amazing a fighter he is, and in that regard I can’t pick against him. He’s escaped every difficult position he’s ever been put in and I don’t think Werdum is good enough to expose any weaknesses he possesses (assuming he is actually human and does possess some).

Winner – Fedor Emelianenko via TKO Round 2

Honor when it comes to making the right choices for his family regardless of the criticism he should fall under, and respect in stepping down from his position at the top of the Strikeforce middleweight division to allow others to share the same spotlight and have the same opportunity to achieve what has done so much for his career away from the cage.

Whether it has been Kickboxing, Sanshou or Mixed Martial Arts, Le has yet to see defeat in his professional fighting career. Yet Cung knows as well as anyone that no man is invincible, and accordingly, Le is currently deep in training for his upcoming middleweight clash with Scott Smith like it’s the most important bout of his career.

With all things considered, being thirty-seven years of age with a bright movie career in frot of him and coming off of a year and a half layoff to face arguably his toughest opponent to date, it very well be the most important fight of Le’s career in the cage, or ring for that matter. If not the most important, definitely the most pivotal in regards to the future of a man that will likely be considered one of the greatest pure martial artists of our generation in years to come.

This is more than just a fight for Cung. this fight is about proving the critics wrong. This fight is about proving to himself what Le already knows deep in his heart; That he can hang and still belongs banging it out with the top fighters of today. This fight is about an undefeated legacy of accomplishment in the martial arts, ending at the pinnacle of combat sports: Mixed Martial Arts.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently had the opportunity to speak with Cung about a variety of subjects including his upcoming showdown with “Hands of Stone” at “Strikeforce: Evolution” on December 19th (of course), his boy Anthony Johnson’s performance against Josh Koscheck, along with gathering Le’s reactions to current Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shield’s statements that Cung has been ducking him.

FiveOuncesofPain: The last time I spoke to you was just prior to the release of “Pandorum”, and I wanted to tell you: I’ve seen it, and I loved it. It was kind of like “The Descent” meets any of the “Alien” films for me. Really claustrophobic, and really freaky. Do you have any other movie plans lined up for the near future?

Cung Le: I have a couple projects for next year. Nothing is signed or locked in yet, but they brought me in and talked to me about being interested in a couple of projects.

FiveOuncesofPain: This is kind of a random question but Tony Jaa happens to be one of my favorite martial arts/action stars; What are your thoughts on Mr. Jaa?

Cung Le: I think he’s really fantastic with the action. I haven’t had a chance to see the new “Ong Bak II” but he definitely made a big splash with “Ong Bak” part one.

FiveOuncesofPain: Yeah part two’s pretty awesome man. Maybe one day we’ll be able to see Cung and Tony side by side.

Cung Le: You know, you never know. I’m sure that once I get the chance to choreograph all of my fight scenes that there will be some really cutting edge stuff there too.

FiveOuncesofPain: So is that kind of the idea you have for yourself in the future; Kind of doing the whole Jackie Chan choreographing all of your action scenes type of thing?

Cung Le: Yeah definitely. Like with a lot of “Pandorum” and “Fighting” I had a chance to offer some advice on some of the scenes, and next thing I know they’re using it, so…

FiveOuncesofPain: That’s cool man. Well we’re just a few weeks away, and it seems like such a typical boring question, but it has to be asked; How are you feeling right now, are the reflexes and everything still where they need to be?

Cung Le: I’m feeling good. I’m excited, I’m nervous, and I have the jitterbugs. It’s all part of the game.

FiveOuncesofPain: But being nervous is normal, right?

Cung Le: For me it is.

FiveOuncesofPain: Then I guess that’s a good thing. Everything seems like it’s going according to plan so far.

Cung Le: Yeah, everything seems good. I think the best person to ask would be Javier Mendez though. He’s the most honest about my training. It’s hard for me to tell how I’m doing. I’m just going to push it as hard as I can, and if he pushes me I’m going to push back.

FiveOuncesofPain: So are you going down to the American Kickboxing Academy or is Javier coming over there to train with you?

Cung Le: Actually he’s coming down to my gym and he’s been bringing some guys over. A couple of weeks ago I wrestled with Cain Velasquez, Trevor Prangley and Josh Thomson. I’m really thankful for them coming down to train with me because it makes it a lot easier on me with my schedule.

FiveOuncesofPain: What are your thoughts on Scott Smith and what he brings to the table? Obviously he’s a bit of a striker like yourself. How do you feel you guys match up?

Cung Le: I think we match up great. I think it’s going to be an exciting fight, Scott Smith is going to be dangerous from round one to round three. I’ve obviously seen quite a few of his fights in the past, and he’s dangerous. He’s got that really big punch. I’m just going to go in there and blank out my mind and just react.

FiveOuncesofPain: Right, and I was going to say that I’m sure you’ve studied quite a bit of tape on Scott and have seen his ability to remain dangerous at all times; Will it be a situation where if you hurt him, you’re going to have to be just a little more cautious due to history of coming back out of nowhere?

Cung Le: Yeah, definitely. You know, a lot of people rush in, but I’ve been in situations where I’ve hurt guys and I’m very really smart about it. Also when I do smell blood I’m able to stay very controlled.

FiveOuncesofPain: Neither of you guys are known for your flying armbars or gogoplatas; Is there pretty much no question in your mind this will turn into a slugfest or are you anticipating Scott trying to take you out of your strong point, and maybe trying to take you to the mat?

Cung Le: Yeah, well me and my team are always preparing for the worst so I’ve been working a lot on my ground game, just in case. I’ve been working my ground game for a while now, so I just have to maintain it. You have to stay a complete fighter and not just work the stand-up because you think it’s going to be a stand-up fight. You never know what to expect from Scott Smith. I’m sure he has a good camp, and I’m sure that if he gets into a little trouble standing that he’s going to try to take the fight to the ground, and you know, I’m comfortable there too.

FiveOuncesofPain: Right, for sure.

Cung Le: You won’t see a gogoplata, but you might see something (laughs).

FiveOuncesofPain: Would you say that it’s safe to say that Scott is the most dangerous striker in MMA that you have faced up until this point?

Cung Le: Ummm, yeah I guess so. I would have to say that Scott Smith is the most dangerous MMA fighter I have fought, but during my time in Sanshou I faced many very dangerous strikers. So I’ve been in there with the best of the best in Sanshou, but I have to realize that those fights were with 10 oz. gloves and these are with 4 oz. gloves. It’s a different sport. Anyone can get knocked out with these gloves. You get hit right and it’s goodnight.

FiveOuncesofPain: Now obviously you have Scott in front of you right now so I’m sure you have tunnel-vision on him, but are you thinking about getting back into the title fray in a matter of time, or are you more just taking things one fight at a time right now?

Cung Le: Just one fight at a time. Scott Smith is definitely at the end of that tunnel right now, and I have to get past him before I even think about anything else. It’s good to be back and train hard . Well it’s good and bad I guess because some things can linger and (laughs) sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, now I know why I enjoy making the movies’, (laughs) because you’re not always sore. But you have to keep with it. I’m enjoying what I’m doing as a fighter and a martial artist, and it’s because of MMA that I’m able to do all of these other things. It’s pretty cool to be able to do both.

FiveOuncesofPain: But there’s pros and cons to both I’m sure. I mean when you’re fighting, you probably want to be acting, and when you’re acting, you probably want to be fighting. I guess it’s just the way it works…

Cung Le: Yeah (laughs), you can’t win.

FiveOuncesofPain: I have to ask you your thoughts on Anthony Johnson’s performance; At just 25 yrs old, do you feel like he will learn more from that recent loss to Koscheck than if he had won?

Cung Le: You know, when we took this fight we knew that he had more to gain whether he won or lost because even if he did lose, which he did, he would gain experience. I thought he was controlling the fight pretty well, but at such a high level of fighting, it’s all about momentum. If the momentum changes and you can’t just switch it back on, then you’re going to lose the fight. Unforunately there were a few things like Johnson getting a little overexcitied with that knee, and Koscheck not closing his hand when he threw a jab. I think that he just got caught in the eye and the whole momentum changed. It is what it is, you know.

FiveOuncesofPain: Oh yeah, but does Anthony seem to be taking it pretty well, like a learning experience?

Cung Le: Actually he’s been taking it fantastic. It was on Sunday, just the next day, that he called me and said that he wanted to come back and start training on Monday, and I’m like, ‘Man, take a couple days off’. Of course he’s like, “Well I can come in and hold pads for the guys”, because there’s a couple of our guys with fights coming up, and I told him, ‘Just take the week off’. So he’s taking the week off and he’ll be back in on Monday.

FiveOuncesofPain: I know you guys are in separate weight classes and fighting for different promotions, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on Lyoto Machida? He seems to have a similar style to you in the aspect of taking little damage while dishing out a bunch?

Cung Le: I think his traditional background gives him a lot of different angles and a lot of tricks that a lot of other fighters aren’t really familiar with. I think he represents his style and mixed martial arts really well, and I think he’s a good champion.

FiveOuncesofPain: What were your thoughts on Jake Shields performance in his win over Mayhem?

Cung Le: I thought it was a good performance on the ground for Jake Shields. I thought “Mayhem” Miller had awesome defense against Shleds submissions, and I also thought that if there was ten more seconds in the third round that Jake Shields would have been asleep.

FiveOuncesofPain: Now I have to ask you; Jake Shields has been making statements that you have been ducking him in some way? What are your thoughts on those statements? Do you think he’s just trying to hype an eventual fight between you guys, or do you feel like there’s any bad blood there?

Cung Le: You know, it’s not the first time that guys like Jake Shields have used my name for publicity, and it’s not going to be the last. Jake and I come from different backgrounds. I’m more respectful due to my traditional roots in martial arts, and Jake has to promote himself the way he promotes himself. It doesn’t bother me at all. I have really thick skin and I’ve been through a lot so something that Jake says is not going to bother me at all to be honest. He’s the champion now but he has to use my name all the time, so ‘Thanks Jake’, for all of the free publicity. It doesn’t bother me at all. For me, whether you have the belt or not, you just have to have the championship attitude. I hope he understands how to promote himself better and has more of a champion’s attitude now that he’s the belt holder.

FiveOuncesofPain: And as far as you ducking him goes; If they were to offer you that fight on down the road, there’s no reason for you to turn down a fight against Jake Shields, correct?

Cung Le: Why would I? The worst that could happen to me is if he takes me to the ground and submits me. But then the worst thing that could happen for him would be for him to run into my shin or some vicious strikes. The thing is that on the ground I can tap, but there’s no tapping when you’re standing up.

FiveOuncesofPain: Well I think it’s kind of apparent that Jake’s stand up isn’t exactly his strong point.

Cung Le: No. Mayhem got the better of the striking in their bout.

FiveOuncesofPain: I think that bout kind of showed what we’ve seen in the past from Shields in bouts with guys like Paul Daley. If the other guy is a better striker, he’s not going to invest a lot of time standing up with the him. And no disrespect to Jake, he’s a heck of a fighter, but he’s not what I’d consider to be a high level striker. In a fight with someone like you I fel like he’d have no choice but to rely on that one dimension; I guess it’s just a case of: Can Jake Shields get you to the ground? I feel like your takedown defense is really underrated, but at the same time we haven’t had a chance to see that much of it yet.

Cung Le: Yeah, you know, me and Jake sparred in practice and I landed a lot of kicks, and he took me to the ground a few times, but that’s practice, you know. In a fight it’s not going to be like everytime he shoots in he takes me down.

FiveOuncesofPain: Right, and you’re not exactly trying to kick him in the head as hard as you can during sparring by a longshot.

Cung Le: Yeah, I feel like a have really good control during sparring. A lot of the times the reason I’m being taken down is because I’m pulling my kicks to the head and they’re just running me down with my foot on their face and getting the takedown. If I let things go, I don’t think that the other fighters would have that much respect for me because they’re preparing for a fight too, and I don’t want to hurt anyone during training. Training is training, and when you’re in a fight, it’s a fight.

FiveOuncesofPain: Cool, thanks Cung, anyone you want to thank?

Cung Le: Yeah absolutely, I want to thank my promoter Scott Coker and my trainer Javier Mendez. I also want to thank all of my sponsors, Zebra Mats, ADX, Knox Fight Gear, BR Flooring and High Octane Energy. I also want to thank the Oush! Fight Team and Team AKA.

Apparently Le has already agreed to face off with middleweight knockout artist Scott Smith according to a recent report on MMAJunkie.com.

The two are expected to square off at the “Strikeforce: Evolution” card set for December 19 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The bout will mark Le’s first return to action since obtaining the Strkeforce middleweight crown during a battle with Frank Shamrock in March of 2008. He sports an unblemished record of 6-0, with all six f his victories coming by either KO or TKO.

Smith will be looking to place himself back in the winner’s circle following his third round rear-naked choke defeat at the hands of Nick Diaz in June of this year. Just prior to his recent loss Smith had racked up consecutive knockout victories over the likes of Benji Radach and Terry Martin.

Undefeated in his decorated career as a professional fighter, compiling a record of 22-0 in kickboxing and 17-0 during Sanshou competition, Cung Le took the world of mixed martial arts by storm following his debut in early 2006, winning all six of his bouts fought under the Strikeforce banner by knockout, and capturing the promotion’s middleweight championship in the process. Cung’s own description of his fighting career sums it up perfectly, “I’ve been successful in everything I’ve done.”

This is why there were more than a few experts and fans alike that had very good reason to believe that the sky was the limit for the freshly crowned, and seemingly unstoppable 185 pound title holder. There was a certain energy surrounding Cung following his arm shattering beatdown of MMA legend Frank Shamrock to claim the Strikeforce crown. An energy that dwindled and lost steam in the mixed martial arts community as the championship sat undefended for months and months to come.

All the while, Le has been busier than ever before in his career spent punching and kicking grown men about the skull and torso. Busy stringing together an impressive resume in Hollywood, recently appearing in Fighting alongside Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard prior to this week’s September 25 release of Pandorum, with Tekken slated to come out later this year.

This is where the second side to the story comes in. As Cung recently revealed in an exclusive interview conducted with FiveOuncesOfPain.com in the days following his resignation as the Strikeforce middleweight champion, a plaguing elbow injury suffered prior to the title fight with Shamrock required a tremendous amount of rehabilitation following the bout. A rehabilitation process the injured elbow is still undergoing to this day.

Le stepping down as the Srikeforce middleweight champion just made sense for all involved due to the current situation. Cung put it best when he said, “It was the honorable thing to do”.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Do you feel like your career in mixed martial arts can be given a fair amount of credit for your fast rise in the movie industry?

Cung Le: I definitely credit MMA, and the popularity of MMA, for the opportunities I’ve had to just walk into these big studios and meet these movie executives because half of them were fans of the sport. They wanted to meet with me because of my past in the sport, and then of course they want to know if I can act. A lot of people don’t realize that when you’re a fighter, you’re going to have a lot of fans, from the top executives from Warner Bros., Universal, and other major companies in Hollywood. If you go in there, they’re going to be a fan, but if they know that you can deliver, and that you can act, a lot of big and wonderful things can happen for you in your career in the entertainment business.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Do you also feel, on the other side of that coin, do you feel like you’re giving back to the sport to some degree by all the press the sport is getting through you being in movies?

Cung Le: I believe that I have given back to the sport because this is going be a bigger market. A lot of people follow MMA, but then there’s a whole lot of other people that don’t follow MMA at all, but everyone goes and watches movies. I think that after people see me in movies, they may end up doing a little bit of research and they’ll be like, “Wow! He fights MMA”.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Can you talk to me about some of the reasons behind your motivation to step down as the Strikeforce middleweight champion?

Cung Le: You know, from my heart, I feel like the opportunity that I have received from MMA and being able to work on films has prevented me from defending my title. I’ve been off doing other things for seventeen months now, and I feel like it doesn’t serve the top middleweight contenders in Strikeforce justice when I’m out doing something else that isn’t their opportunity. I understand that this is my opportunity. I think that for me to take a step back was the honorable thing to do. I wanted to give those guys a chance to fight for the title. Not everyone gets the kind of opportunities that I get, so I have to not be selfish, and take a step back, and do the right thing, which is to vacate the title.

FiveOuncesOfPain: So with you stepping away from your championship belt, are you also stepping away from the sport as a competitor?

Cung Le: Just because I vacate the title does not mean that I’m retiring. I still love the sport, and I plan on getting back in thee and maybe doing a superfight here and there. If everything’s firing on all cylinders maybe I’ll take another run at the title again, but right now I think this is the best, and the most honorable thing to do.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Now I heard that before you fought Frank Shamrock for the title that you had an injury that you needed surgery on following the fight. What can you tell me about that injury and the rehabilitation process that has followed it?

Cung Le: Well I had elbow surgery before. It ended up taking me like six weeks of rehab before I could get back in there and train. I though that it was just a bone spur that may have been pinching the nerve or something. When I came out from being under during the surgery I was like, ‘Wow!’, you know, I felt weird because I had been under before and I was just so out of it. My surgeon told me that it went from a minor surgery to a major surgery because my bone spurt was sticking into a major nerve. So he had to move the nerve out of the way, shave the bone down, and just kind of push the nerve back into the pocket. I remember he told me that I was going to have to rehab it for at least three months, and I was like, ‘Wow!’, you know. Then two weeks later Frank Shamrock wanted to offer me the fight, and my trainer was telling me that I might not get this opportunity again. So I’m working around my injury preparing for the fight, and I got in there and I pulled it off. Right now I’m healing up. I’m at least at 85% right now. I try to keep myself in the best shape I can in case something comes up, then I won’t be that far off from getting back in shape.

FiveOuncesOfPain: I think there are a lot of people that may not realize that outside of the opportunities that came your way in film, you physically couldn’t fight after the Shamrock bout for a large chunk of time.

Cung Le: I physically couldn’t fight in the beginning. A lot of people don’t realize, they think that Strikeforce has been around for so long that they forget that Strikeforce put on their first show of this year in April, Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz, and all of a sudden right after that they were expecting a title fight to come up right away. I thought it was kind of stupid.

FiveOuncesOfPain: In the back of your mind, you have to sit back and wonder how you would do against some of the top guys in the division like Anderson Silva, Nate Marquardt, or even Jake Shields. Is that hunger still there in your stomach? Do you get that burn when you’re watching fights where you just want to get back in there?

Cung Le: You know, maybe I’m different than some of the other fighters, but that burn that I have in my stomach is just to challenge myself. it doesn’t matter who I go in there against. I’ve been competing for a long time. Since 1994 as an amateur, and I turned pro in 98. I fought professionally in Sanshou and Kickboxing until 2005 before I turned to MMA in 2006. I’ve had a long career, where I’ve represented the United States in the World Championships, and I was the only American to bring home three different medals from three different world championships, along with winning other titles in Sanshou and kickboxing, and now in MMA, I’ve been successful in everything I’ve done. It’s just that a lot of people don’t realize that I’ve been a competitor my entire life, so that fire is always there for me. At the same time, I know that sometimes you just have to take a step back, and let yourself recover, and just kind of re-energize for when you take that next step, and get ready to walk back inside of the cage or ring again. I’ve been doing this for a very long time.

FiveOuncesOfPain: I can totally understand that, but you see the same question come up with a guy like Fedor for example. Is it a situation where you’ve just been dominant for so long at what you’ve been doing that you don’t really feel like you’re being challenged anymore?

Cung Le: No, I challenge myself. I’ve always been a competitor, I’ve always loved the martial arts, and I always try to represent myself well. I know that people have high expectations of me, but they’re not the ones doing it. They’re not the ones putting in the time. They’re not the ones that are going through the hardships, the ups and downs, so they really don’t understand. They just have a tunnel vision thought process about certain things. They call it the way they think it should be, but they don’t really understand. I’m not done yet. I’ll be back. I’m just doing the best that I can do to make the right decisions. I’m not in it for the short haul, I’m in it for the long haul. I have to do the right thing, not only for the fans and the promotion, but I have to do the right thing for myself, and my family too.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Fair enough. I can respect that. I have to ask you, is Anthony Johnson going to be the guy to beat Georges St. Pierre?

Cung Le: The only fear I have with Anthony Johnson is him being able to make 170 pounds. Every time he comes back for the next fight he’s bigger and just putting on more muscle. He’s really putting his time in right now, trying different things, and I really feel like the sky is the limit for Anthony Johnson. I think he’s just really big for the weight, and I know it’s a very hard cut for him. He has all the talent, and everything it takes to beat anyone, but when you have to make that drastic of a cut in weight leading into a fight, you’re not even the same person. I think he could be competitive at 185, but he likes to fight at 170 because he’s bigger than most of those guys, so that’s why he does it. I think that he has all of the potential in the world to do whatever it takes.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Of course, a question a lot of fans want to know; Is there any chance we’re gonna see Cung Le fight in the UFC before it’s all said and done?

Cung Le: I have a lot of respect for Dana White and the UFC. I have to give Dana and the UFC all the credit for getting MMA in the mainstream, but right now I have a contract with Strikeforce, and I’m doing the best I can as a martial artist and an MMA champion… former champion…. you know, I could not say right now. I’m not that young anymore [laughs], so we’ll see

FiveOuncesOfPain: Thanks so much for taking this time with me Cung. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Cung Le: Definitely, I’d like to thank Zebra Mats, Throwdown, ADX, KNOXX Gear and BR Flooring. I also want to thank all of the fans, the Vietnamese community, and to everyone in MMA that supports all of us as fighters and athletes, thank you very much.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Alright Cung, thanks a lot….

Cung Le: And thank you for the interview. I think I shed a bit of light, more than any other interview for you, so hopefully your interview with me stands out more than the other ones.

FiveOuncesOfPain: I appreciate it Cung, I really do. I think the fans are really going to respect you clearing the air in your own words on the whole situation. Take care.

The Strikeforce middleweight champion has officially stepped down from his position according to CEO Scott Coker in a report from MMAWeekly.com.

Cung Le, who has been busy making movies the past year or so, hasn’t defended the title since winning it against Frank Shamrock back in March 2008.

With the decision of Le stepping down, Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller will now decide the vacant middleweight title. The title bout is now set for the newly announced November 7th card on CBS. The event will be headlined by the heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers

Speaking on Cung Le’s decision, Coker said “I had a conversation with Cung and he has a lot of respect for Jake and Jason, and he’s got another movie coming up, so he’s asked me if he could step down, which we’re going to honor his request. By no means does that mean he’s going to be retired, but he’s going to be unavailable for the next two months.”

This is a subject that has been just living underneath my skin for quite some time now and I’m through sitting on my hands. I’m going way old school in this piece and firing directly from my hip in this editorial, and these verbal bullets are being aimed in the direction of Strikeforce Middleweight “Champion” Cung Le.

First things first. I used to be a huge Cung Le fan. Not Cung Le the “movie star”, but Cung Le the bad ass Sanshou master turned human highlight reel mixed martial artist.

I was a fan of the Cung Le that I remember watching absolutely destroy people during K-1 events held in Las Vegas back in 2003 during these crazy San Shou fights. Cung was just hip tossing dudes to the ground, kicking them in the mouth, clipping guys with spinning backfists; There was no one that even came close to the dazzling Vietnamese-American at this unfamiliar fighting style that combined strikes with throws.

At the time I figured it was something Cung had made up so that he could just dominate his own sport. I learned after the fact that that was far from the case and quickly developed a deep respect for Cung and his accomplishments in the art.

That was long before he made his professional MMA debut for Strikeforce back in March of 2006. Of course I took immediate notice to Cung when he jumped into mixed martial arts, and we all know he didn’t disappoint. Six fights, six wins, six knockouts in exactly two years. He was coming along nicely. There was a lot to be excited about in regards to Le’s future in MMA at the time.

Then something happened with the previously dedicated gladiator; He won the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship in a hard fought battle against an aging Frank Shamrock way back in March of 2008 and he’s been missing in action ever since. At least as far as our sport is concerned.

So what happened that has prevented this exciting fighter from defending his newly obtained Strikeforce championship for what is currently over a year and four months? Surely it had to be something serious, right? A shattered spine or broken neck suffered in training maybe? Those injuries would definitely take time to come back from. No, Cung Le has been taking this precious time away from this great sport to focus on his career making movies.

According to IMDB Le has appeared in the recent film “Fighting”, which is about…. you guessed it, fighting. Underground street fighting to be a little more specific. Exactly the type of theme the community of mixed martial arts would be proud to showcase to the masses, right? Not so much in this writer’s humble opinion.

Listed as movies set to be released in the near future featuring Cung are Pandorum, Tekken, Su Qi-Er, and Sap yueh wai sing. The latter two are set for release in… China.

I could understand if he’s busy blowing the doors off the hinges of Hollywood but taking a look at his latest projects makes me wonder if Cung ever plans to fight again.

In a recent interview with Maggie Hendricks from Cagewriter, Cung was quoted as saying, “I talked to Scott and he said he is going to do an interim belt very soon. I talked to him last week and it is going to happen after this fight.”

Shame on you Cung Le for letting that happen.

Call me old school or call me a cranky SOB, but I’m from the crowd that believes a champion has an obligation to defend their title. Step up or step down, it’s that simple.

Interim title? I could understand the reasoning behind the “paper belt” in some cases, such as when Sean Sherk was held up in proceedings due to his dirty drug testing following his title defense against Hermes Franca, or Mir and Nogueira facing off when Randy Couture had been away for far too long; but to create an interim championship due to a champion’s unwillingness to fight, for any reason, should result in that “champion” being stripped of that belt that countless others would be proud to wear.

Others such as Jake Shields, Joey Villasenor, Tim Kennedy; hell, I’m sure Nick Diaz would have no problem staying right at 185 pounds and challenging for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Say what you will say about Diaz, but he is a real fighter, and he fights consistently, without excuses.

I don’t care if you are a fighter as honorable and as respected as “The Natural” Randy Couture and you have (theoretically) defended your strap 20 times; If you don’t want to fight, that’s cool, just get out of the way and let the risk-takers sort it out amongst each other.

However, what makes matters worse is the fact that Le is far from a warrior as established as Couture. Let’s be real folks, Cung has fought a whopping six times in his professional mixed martial arts career. His biggest win outside of his championship victory over Frank Shamrock was over… Sammy Morgan? Excuse me for not being too impressed. And since when has beating Frank Shamrock been an excuse to step away from the game. So you beat Shamrock and that’s it, nothing more to accomplish here? The previously noted Nick Diaz would beg to differ.

Of course the argument could be made that you have to go where the money is. Just the thought of it makes me sick to be honest. Is there nothing held above the almighty dollar anymore? A sense of responsibility? A sense of pride? Surely it’s not all about the money for Cung Le.

Either way Le will have at least one less fan to cheer for him if he ever does bless MMA with his appearance inside of a cage again.

If there’s one lesson I have learned in this life it’s to never forget where you came from and never turn your back on those that propelled you to where you are today.