Under the Microscope: Analyzing Middleweight Greats

Cung Le captured middleweight gold in Strikeforce. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Cung Le

* Middleweight Record: 9-3
* Opponent Winning Percentage: .671
* Longest Winning Streak: 6
* Record in Major Middleweight Title Fights: 1-0
* Finish Percentage: 89
* Finished Percentage: 100
* Notable Victories: Rich Franklin, Patrick Cote, Scott Smith, Frank Shamrock
* Career Accomplishments: Strikeforce middleweight champion; two-time UFC “Performance of the Night” bonuses winner

CASE FOR: Le was a throwback to fuzzy TV screens and technicolor combat, a sanshou student who was more emblematic of traditional kung fu than the contemporary iterations of martial arts that dominate the MMA landscape. Though his style was rooted in ancient methodology, his success against the modern evolution of fighters is undeniable: Eight of his nine wins were knockouts or technical knockouts. His success culminated in the Strikeforce middleweight strap, and had he not answered the siren song of Hollywood, he could have very well gone on to defend it. A bigger “what if” in his career, though, revolves around his age; Le made his MMA debut at the ripe age of 34, shopworn from a decade of sanshou and kickboxing bouts. Who knows what he could have accomplished if he entered the cage at the turn of the millennium or took a more traditional route of fighting on regional circuits before taking the leap to the big leagues. Yet with a solid record, a major title and an unheard-of finish rate, he still has the goods to stake his flag in the discussion.

CASE AGAINST: If this were a competition of the most nostalgia-inducing martial artist, Le would be a sure bet. However, in a match of actual fighting careers, Le has several fatal flaws, first and foremost being his lack of title defenses and top-flight opponents. Upon his return from the bright lights of the movie industry, Le was swiftly TKO’d by journeyman Scott Smith. While he would enact his revenge on Smith, he was never again a legitimate threat to another title, teeter-tottering between wins and losses until Michael Bisping punched him into retirement. As it stands, Le is one of the division’s purest lethal strikers, as well as one of its best entertainers, but his resume lacks the flair for which his in-cage performances were known.

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