A Bleacher Report Exclusive Interview With Cung Le

Cung Le, the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion has been taking time off away from the ring to pursue an acting career and heal injuries. He's been gone for over a year now and his fans are starting to wonder what he's been doing.

Not only has he been acting, but he's been immortalized as an action figure by Round 5 and he's even been training. When will he return to the Strikeforce cage? Read on in my exclusive one-on-one interview with Cung Le.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- First off,  I'd like to thank you for giving me the time to interview you today.

Cung Le- No problem man. Its my pleasure.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- So one of the reasons I'm interviewing you today is because you just had an action figure released of you by Round 5. Explain what that experience was like.

Cung Le- The whole experience of having your own action figure is an amazing experience. From taking the detailed pictures 360 degrees of your body, the first moldings and the second moldings and then finally to have the action figure, to see it in the packaging and then to open the packaging when you get the action figure, its just amazing.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- What does it mean to you to have an action figure done by Round 5, they've made figures of guys like Randy Couture, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and now you. What does that mean to you?

Cung Le- It means alot to me. It means all the hard work that I've put in, y'know I've only got six MMA fights. Alot people only know about my MMA fights, but I've been fighting since 1998. Sanshou Kickboxing, its a really good feeling.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- Yea, you haven't been in the mixed-martial-arts game that long. What was it like to get the call from the people at Round 5 to be immortalized into an action figure? What was your first reaction to that?

Cung Le- I'm just so grateful, so thankful and its almost like.... you don't even have the right words for it, you're just in shock.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- How much input did you have, you had two figures done, right?

Cung Le- I mean, they made a limited edition one with the shorts, y'know a matching action figure with just the shorts. The other one was black shorts with gold and the red stripes. It was just amazing.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- Since taking a break from MMA you've done alot of things. You've had an action figure made, you've worked on a lot of movies. What was this break from MMA to pursue movies like?

Cung Le- Well, on its given me time to recover my elbow injury that I got before the Frank Shamrock fight, and two I've done five movies in the last two years. They're all starting to come out now. I've got a big movie coming out called "Pandorum", it's going to be big.

Everyone likes movies, everyone likes action and guessing whats going to come next but caan't figure it out. It's one of those movies. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, its one of those psychological thrillers with action and horro and sci-fi. For me to be on set for two and a half months with actors like Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster was priceless.

Just to be apart of a movie with a great director, Christian Alvert, producers like Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer it was like going to school and getting paid. Next thing you know you've got a movie coming out and you've got the experience, it was amazing.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You've made such a big transition from MMA to movies, you had your first major U.S. movie come out this year with "Fighting", and you were just talking about "Pandorum", can we get a little preview of "Tekken" which also comes out this year?

Cung Le- Tekken is about one of the most popular fighting video games out there. I play Marshall Law another popular character. The main character is Jin and if you play Tekken you know all the characters. I got a chance to fight in the movie, do a little Marshall Law stuff and I'm just grateful to be in the history book as Marshall Law in the movie. I got my action figure, I got Tekken, and pretty soon I've got an MMA game coming out. Im apart of that too.

What a ride it has been ever since I started MMA, I want t thank Javier Mendez again because if it wasn't for him talking me into doing MMA, I would never have gotten the chance to do all of this. And Scott Coker for promoting the fights, its definitely been one of those amazing rides but at the same time I've had alot of injuries in MMA more than I would have in Sanshou Kickboxing so it's been one of the toughest sports out there, ever.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You said you were working on a video game, you're also in a movie based in a video game with Tekken, do you play video games?

Cung Le- Im a big video gamer, I'm more of a first person shooter, maybe a little bit of fight games. I used to play alot but then my eight year old son started beating me at the games, so I just run out to the first person shooter (Laughs).

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- What do your sons think of you being immortalized into an action figure and being in the movie Tekken?

Cung Le- My sons aren't too keen on Tekken yet until it comes out. I gave them the action figures figuring they'd rip'em apart playing with it, but they were pretty careful with it so I'm content that they're not ripping my head off (Laughs). They make my action figure fight their G.I. Joe action figure of my buddy Channing Tatum. It's great.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You've been doing alot of fighting in movies, have you been training at all?

Cung Le- I always train. Whenever I get the chance, it's apart of my life. I train all the time I just haven't been able to do alot of sparring and grappling. At the same time, I realize that when I'm on the movie set I have to stay in shape but also perform at a high level so I can represent myself. I'm the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, I don't want people going out there thinking that I can't act, I work hard on it. I think everybody will get a chance to critique my acting skills against Ben Foster come September 19th.

Bens one of the best actors and I had to be on par and up to that level to hold that screen with him.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You've been doing all of this fight stuff in the movies, when can we expect you back fighting for real?

Cung Le- Well, I've talked to Scott Coker and he said once he squares away his deal with CBS he wants to get me back in there. I'm alot more healthy now, my elbow is maybe 80%, give me a motive and if I'm not filming a massive big project, I'll get right back in there. I'll start doing triple-workout days and give it all of I've got and fight to the best of my ability.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- What do you think is the biggest obligation for you? Is it fighting and defending your title, or is it acting?

Cung Le- My biggest obligation is putting food on the table for my family. I've got two young boys, my beautiful wife, and they're my first obligation. I can't fight forever, but I love to fight. I've got a couple more fights in me but at the same time what am I going to do after I'm done fighting? I've got to secure something to fall back on when I'm done. I'm not done fighting yet.

I've already talked to Scott and if I'm not being active in fighting because of a movie I'll just have to vacate my belt. But if I get the oppurtunity then I'll get right back in there and fight.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You said you're not sure how much longer you have. With the age factor, the amount of injuries you've sustained, how much longer do you think you and compete and contend in the fight game?

Cung Le- I dont know. I take really good care of my body, I've just had a few bad runs with the elbow injuries. Actually, after I got my right hamstring fixed up it's even better than it was before I got it injured. I just got to be grateful for that. With the elbow, at one point I couldn't even brush my teeth with that arm so now its about 80% and I'm using it. I'm just grateful I can wake up every day and be who I am.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- I'm sure you've probably heard this already but Jake Shields was offered a fight later this year for the interim middleweight championship. When asked about you he said it was "retarted" that you hadn't been stripped of the title. Any thoughts on that?

Cung Le- I don't have any thoughts on it. I don't blame Jake or anyone that feels that way. If they were in my position I'm sure they'd get the same comments. Obviously they don't have the opportunities that I have and I'm not mad at them at all. I feel bad. I said if eventually I don't defend my title than I'll have to vacate the title. It's not fair for other fighters not to be able to fight for the title.

I'm just striking while the iron is hot. I guarantee that 99.9% of the fighters out there would be doing the same thing. I love fighting and if I can fight forever than I'll fight forever.

The pay in MMA has gotten alot better but at the same time movies pay well too. And in the movies down the road when a movie comes out your get royalty checks every quarter. That doesn't happen in fighting.

I love fighting but I can't do it forever. I still have fights left in me and when the time comes I'll be back in the cage. In the meantime, Strikeforce only acquired Jake's contract this year. He's only fought one time.

Yeah, he got a great win but I've been with Strikeforce since the beginning. I have six fights with Strikeforce. I was there in the kickboxing days and when Scott Coker needs me to step up, I step up.

I don't mind what anybody says. It's probably retarted to Jake but if he were in my shoes right now, he'd be doing the same thing.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- Jake's opponent hasn't been named yet but is there anybody out there that you think is deserving or that you'd like to fight later down the road?

Cung Le- I heard that he might be fighting the runner-up in DREAM Jacare Souza. Jake's going to get his shot at the interim title. I want to just apologize to all the fans and the fighters out there. But again, if anybody else was put in my position, they'd be doing the same thing.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- You've been gone for over a year now, do you fear any ring rust might spoil your return later down the road?

Cung Le- I guarantee there will be a little bit of ring rust. I haven't been training like a fighter but I have been training. I get my sparring in here and there and time Josh Thompson comes in he sees me training but it's not the same when your not training for a fight. You just get in a different zone.

I just have to make sure when I come back that I'm ready to defend the title or whatever the case is. If I'm not ready than I won't do it. I'm not a fighter that will just jump in there. I want to do it when I'm ready because I'm the one fighting.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- Strikeforce Carano vs. Cyborg is Saturday night. Do you have any predictions?

Cung Le- My prediction is that it's going to be one hell of a fight. When the smoke clears the fighter that trained harder and worked harder will come out the winner.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- Are you close with any of the fighters on the card? Anybody from your camp?

Cung Le- I've got two fighters on the card from my gym Universal Strength. I've got James Terry and I've got Isaiah Hill. They're both on the undercard. Other than that, I'm close to Josh Thompson but he re-injured himself again. I told him in the first place that it was too early to come back.

This is why I think about my future alot because when Josh Thompson got injured the first time he missed out on a big payday. He came back, it's been close to a year now and he's missing out on alot of income.

I feel bad for Josh, there are people out there bashing Josh saying they should strip hm too, but he's really trying. He works hard. I told him an injury like that needs more time. Why go in there and take a risk and seriously hurt yourself? MMA isn't an ordinary sport. You can really get injured.

Mike Leanza (Bleacher Report)- I wish you all the best with your movie career, your return to the cage, and your new marriage. I want to thank you for taking the time out to answer my questions today.

Cung Le- Thank you for this interview. If it wasn't for you, all the reporters, and all the media nobody would know about me. For all the fans that support me, even the ones that don't support me, if you throw my name out there, any press is good press.

Thank you to all the fans, the media, my sponsors ADX, Throwdown, BR Flooring, Zebra Mats and my promoters Scott Coker, Strikeforce, Showtime and my trainer Javier Mendez. Thank you.