Sherdog’s Top 10: Hollywood Crossovers

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6. Cung Le

Kickboxer turned mixed martial artist Le might be on the rocks with the UFC at the moment, given the utter mess surrounding his positive (or not) test for human growth hormone following his bout against Michael Bisping and his subsequent involvement in a class-action lawsuit. Luckily, he has another career in entertainment waiting for him.

Le compiled an undefeated record in kickboxing and sanshou, and he picked up the Strikeforce middleweight championship in addition to his other accolades. His flashy style, with its emphasis on spinning strikes and jumping kicks, made him a natural fit for the entertainment industry’s martial arts films. He took to them like a fish to water.

A few B-level action films started his acting career, and he got a big break in the Channing Tatum vehicle “Fighting” in 2009. Le had a major role alongside Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster in “Pandorum,” which likewise came out in 2009, and was cast as Marshall Law in “Tekken.” He followed that with the lead in “Dragon Eyes,” alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, and another major part in RZA’s martial arts homage “The Man with the Iron Fists.”

As long as martial arts movies are a staple in Hong Kong and Hollywood, Le will be near the top of the list when directors go looking for capable stars.

Number 5 » The former Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling was a transformative figure for MMA due to his skills, polish with the media and organizational gifts, and it was no surprise when he turned to acting to build on the massive profile he built for himself as a fighter.