June 22, 3:43 PM
San Jose MMA ExaminerPhil Lanides
Cung Le is not a man who is used to losing. Perfect at 16-0 in kickboxing/San Shou and with a 6-0 record in MMA, Le headed into his bout with noted slugger Scott “Hands of Stone” Smith this past December looking to continue that success. Despite the fact that he hadn’t fought in 21 months due to film commitments, Le was seen by many to be the favorite in the bout. And for two and a half rounds, fans saw why. Le punished Smith with kicks and punches, putting his foe on the brink of defeat several times. Yet Smith persevered. Some speculated that Le’s ring rust began to catch up with him, but regardless of the reason, a mistake was made and Smith capitalized. Le got caught, and went down. “Hands of Stone” showed why he has earned that nickname, and blasted the Vietnamese star with a right hand on the ground that spelled the end of the fight. Smith, known for his ability to come back from extraordinary punishment in a fight, had done it again.
Now, faced with fighting for the first time in his professional combat sports career after a loss, Le is prepared to showcase his own comeback ability to the world. This Saturday, Le will also get his chance at paying Smith back as the two rematch at “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdun” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Le, a huge local star, should be the big favorite. I sat down with him recently to talk about his approach to this anticipated rematch.
Phil Lanides: How are you feeling physically?
Cung Le: I feel great. No nagging injuries…not that I’d reveal that anyway (laughs).
PL: How’s your mental state going into this fight? You were beating Smith pretty badly for two and a half rounds, and then you got caught. Having never lost up until that point as a professional in your fight career, how has that loss affected you mentally?
CL: It was my first loss, and it definitely hurt. But that was last year. This is a new year, a new day, and it’s over with. It’s true what they say: you learn more from your losses than your wins. And I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve made the improvements in myself as an athlete and as a person, and I’m ready.
PL: What do you feel like caused the loss?
CL: Ring rust was expected, but what really affected me was the lack of conditioning on my hands and shins. I made a huge mistake in the third round. My coach had told me to play it conservative in the last round, but I went for it anyway, and the tide changed when I got winded. He had to finish me if he was going to win, so I planned to duck under his punch and take him down. But he caught me. He hit me in the nose on the ground, my eyes welled up, I couldn’t see, and it is what it is. Much respect to him for being able to do it.
PL: Did you ask for this rematch?
CL: My coach, Javier Mendez, wanted me to do this fight. It had to happen eventually, so why not get it over with? And it’s not like I got completely dominated, so why not?
PL: Jake Shields is rumored to be headed to the UFC, which would put the StrikeForce Middleweight belt up for grabs. Where do you see yourself in the title picture? Do you want the strap back?
CL: I just want to fight. As soon as I was able, I was back in the gym, and I’ve been there since January. This time, I’m listening to my body, and I’ve been working on my overall game. I am ready to go.
PL: You’re 38 years old. How much longer do you think you’ll fight?
CL: I’m not sure. I’m just taking it one day at a time. It’s been a very tough training camp, with 3-a-days being a regular part of it. Sparring with Thomas Digne for standup and James Terry for wrestling has been awesome. Javier has definitely stepped up his game, as well. Also, David Ali has helped me with boxing. I’ve done everything I can to win. Now, it’s just maintenance time.
PL: Are you filming any movies right now?
CL: No films at all right now. I’ve pushed all that back. Fighting is the most important thing right now. I’ve got different projects coming through the pipeline, but I’m totally focused on fighting.
PL: Do you have anything to promote right now, besides your fight with Smith?
CL: On August 1st, it looks like we’ll be putting on an amateur MMA event at the Saddle Rack, so be on the lookout for that. I want to do my part to help keep Bay Area fighters busy. Also, fans can purchase my walkout shirt for this fight for $25 at my gym or on http://www.cagehero.net/.
PL: Is there anybody you’d like to thank?
CL: My wife, Suzanne, could give birth any day, and it could possibly happen the night of the fight. So I might end up heading to the hospital from the arena. I want to thank her for all her support. She’s been holding it down (laughs). I’d also like to thank Scott Coker and Strikeforce for everything. And, Brent Rolles with BR Flooring has stepped up and sponsored me. I’m grateful for that.
PL: Would you like to leave any message for the fans that are going to see you fight on the 26th?
CL: I’ve put in the work…it’s time to get the reward. Thank you to all the fans for their support, and they can follow me on CungLe.com.
PL: Do you have any message for Scott?
CL: No. My message will be in the cage on the 26th.
