Come Home, Cung
Loretta Hunt Jun 3, 2009
Out of sight, out of mind -- unless your name is Cung Le.
Strikeforce’s middleweight champion has been MIA since his dramatic three-rounder against Frank Shamrock 14 months ago.
Remember the one where the windmill-kicking underdog used the
former UFC champion’s arm for batting practice? Even the
notoriously inoperative Shamrock mended his ways and managed to
climb back into the cage before Le.
The mob has begun to sharpen its pitchforks.
Unlike some of his would-be-thespian cohorts, Le’s new passion isn’t a passing fancy. He has a sizable role in “Pandorum,” a big-budget sci-fi thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster due out in September.
So what’s his promoter to do? Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has decided to wait, while he kills the bi-weekly Internet rumors “confirming” that Le has defected to the UFC.
Coker says Le has “multiple fights for years” left on his current contract and the promoter will be flexible with the striker he built into a San Jose icon.
Coker, who met with Le last week, says the fighter wants to balance his day job with his titleholder duties. The promoter is optimistic for Le’s return this fall.
Of course, Coker knows he can only be without one of his main draws for so long. An interim title is under consideration as well.
“At some point, this is a fight league and I think we owe it to the other fighters to do that,” says Coker. “But we’re not just going to jump into that right now.”
The mob wants its deadline though, and why not? A champion is only as good as his defenses.
“If we can defend his belt by the fall, that’s worthy,” says Coker. “These type of opportunities come along far and few for these guys, so I think it’s a good opportunity for him and I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for Strikeforce. At the end of the day, if he can’t defend, if he’s busy, then we’ll have to make other arrangements.”
Somewhere Robbie Lawler is smiling.
Strikeforce’s middleweight champion has been MIA since his dramatic three-rounder against Frank Shamrock 14 months ago.
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The mob has begun to sharpen its pitchforks.
Le (6-0) isn’t stalling though; he’s just busy. The 37-year-old
Vietnamese fighter has completed no less than four films expected
in theatres this year and is attached to three more after that.
Unlike some of his would-be-thespian cohorts, Le’s new passion isn’t a passing fancy. He has a sizable role in “Pandorum,” a big-budget sci-fi thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster due out in September.
So what’s his promoter to do? Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has decided to wait, while he kills the bi-weekly Internet rumors “confirming” that Le has defected to the UFC.
Coker says Le has “multiple fights for years” left on his current contract and the promoter will be flexible with the striker he built into a San Jose icon.
Coker, who met with Le last week, says the fighter wants to balance his day job with his titleholder duties. The promoter is optimistic for Le’s return this fall.
Of course, Coker knows he can only be without one of his main draws for so long. An interim title is under consideration as well.
“At some point, this is a fight league and I think we owe it to the other fighters to do that,” says Coker. “But we’re not just going to jump into that right now.”
The mob wants its deadline though, and why not? A champion is only as good as his defenses.
“If we can defend his belt by the fall, that’s worthy,” says Coker. “These type of opportunities come along far and few for these guys, so I think it’s a good opportunity for him and I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for Strikeforce. At the end of the day, if he can’t defend, if he’s busy, then we’ll have to make other arrangements.”
Somewhere Robbie Lawler is smiling.
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