Inspired by
G-Ryder's thread about GSP I decided to make this one about Cung Le. Cung is a talented and exciting fighter to watch. Few will deny that but he gets a lot of hate. Some skepticism is reasonable but others are misguided or even ridiculous. Here are a few of the misconceptions that trigger the B.S. meter......
1. Cung Le is undersized for Middleweight and should cut to Welterweight
- Cung is 5'10" and has stated that he walks around at about 192lbs. So he only needs to cut about 7 pounds to make weight. Many have suggested that he cut to 170 to fight in the WW division. This would require him to cut 22 pounds (even GSP walks around at about 185)! Cung is very lean and well built for his size. It's for this reason that he is against cutting so much weight. It saps his strength. At 185 he may face taller and bigger opponents but that doesn't cause too much problem for his fighting style. He's a dynamic striker and skilled wrestler. He has alot of abilities most Top 10 MW opponents don't possess even if some are taller and bigger.
2. Cung Le doesn't have a ground game
- Cung Le has an All-American High school and Collegiate Wrestling background. He was a California Junior College State Wrestling Champion. On top of that he has been training extensively in BJJ at American Kickboxing Academy. Until we see him on his back we won't know how good his ground game is or isn't but it is foolish to assume he'd be lost on the ground. He's proven that he is capable of securing good top position and has incredible throws. He is no stranger to grappling so I'd expect him to atleast be competent on the ground by now. Cung seems to excel at everything he learns. Like GSP he is a super athlete.
3. Cung Le's fighting style is not suited for MMA
- Many critics have expressed the belief that Cung's style is flashy, ineffective and leaves him open to counter attacks. Sorry but a 6 - 0, 6 KO record says otherwise. Cung Le has unprecedented speed, accuracy, timing and versatile striking. He dissects his opponents. If a spin kick lands and does damage guess what? It works. While few MMA fighters use these "flashy" techniques Cung excels at them and uses them at liberty because he's a master of them. Others don't because they don't train them. They haven't developed the coordination to use the techniques he does.
Cung Le is a Kung Fu master and Tae Kwon Do Black Belt. He has used these skills in combat for a long time prior to MMA, competing in TKD tournaments as well as Shidokan and incorporating these TMA skills into his San Shou game. I think alot of MMA fighters will have trouble striking with Cung because his style is so unorthodox to them. Here's this southpaw with superhuman reflexes throwing these crazy kicks that land accurately and do damage. Fighters just seem to get lost trying to find a hole in Cung's standup.
4. Cung Le lacks Knockout power
- People who claim this cite, among other things, Cung allowing Fryklund and Morgan into the 3rd Round. Hitting opponents with a series of high kicks that don't KO them "Crocop-style" and catching Frank with good punches that didn't badly rock him.
First off most Top 10 MWs have gone to decision against fighters below Fryklund and Morgan's level. Cung Le has won every fight by KO or TKO. He has a 100% knockout average after 6 fights, something no other Top 10 MW can boast. He knocked his first two opponents out cold in the 1st Round, cut Von Flue's head with a kick, got Fryklund in the 3rd, KO'd Morgan with a body kick and broke Frank Shamrock's arm. He's got power he's just a methodical striker that concentrates on breaking down his opponent and only going for the kill after he catches them.
He snaps his high kicks which means they're designed for speed rather than power so they don't get caught. They're like jabs. The body kicks are the more powerful kicks.
He does have a very wide stance when he throws his punches so they don't generate as much power as a skilled Boxer but he has knocked out 3 opponents with punches so he must be doing something right. Frank has a good chin. Cung actually got better shots on him than Baroni did. He may not have the devastating power of the hardest hitting strikers but he is a methodical KO artist.
5. Cung Le will get subbed once he faces a skilled grappler committed to taking him down
- In theory this may be true. Cung got into MMA 2 years ago and many fighters have far more submission grappling experience than him. But people who state this as if it is inevitable overlook or are ignorant of the fact that Cung has an excellent wrestling background. He's also a San Shou world champion, a sport where defending takedowns while striking is essential to success. Combined with his wrestling he should have a great Takedown Defense, being hard to take down and keep down. Until a grappler commits to taking him to the ground we won't know how well his TDD holds up.
6. Cung Le's opponents are paid to stand with him
- Allegations like this are an insult to the integrity of the fighters and the promotions. Unless you have credible evidence that a fight is a work please just shut up. In Cung's 6 fights he has yet to face a committed grappler who tried to put him on his back but that doesn't mean there were no attempts. Warren tried to clinch with him, Von Flue pulled guard before the stoppage due to a cut, Fryklund attempted two takedowns, Morgan attempted a few including a single leg and Frank got Cung in a body lock twice and went for a Standing Guillotine Choke.
Only a corrupt ORG would pay fighters to stand or take a dive but a sensible one does try to build up stars. If you're Strikeforce you don't match Cung up with a submission wizard in his first 4 or 5 fights if you want him to become an attraction. You make sensible matchups. Increasingly better competition with guys who prefer to strike and brawl. Yeah they fed him a few cans he's new. But he beat a tough opponent in Frank Shamrock and now he's ready for the big leagues, the MW Top 10.
7. Cung Le would get DESTROYED by Anderson Silva
- Maybe. Silva has destroyed everyone else. He's only the #1 p4p fighter in MMA. But I think Cung would give him a good fight. He's a dynamic striker with a good chin. He's one of the few MWs with a real shot at standing with Silva technically. It's a bit early to really talk about this fight. Cung does have alot to prove in MMA before he can be considered a legitimate contender for Anderson Silva. From a stylistic perspective however I think this would be a competitive fight.
Here's my take on it:
Link
8. Cung Le's Professional San Shou record is padded and he avoided Chinese competition as well as fighting world class kickboxers under K-1 Rules
- I'm not very knowledgeable about kickboxing competition, especially back when Cung Le was competitive, but every time someone makes this claim I ask them for evidence and they provide nothing. His Pro competition isn't stellar by elite kickboxing standards. There are no top ranked K-1 fighters. It is a mix of San Shou, MMA, Shidokan, Kickboxing and other fighters of various disciplines and skill levels.
I think Cung was just a big fish in a small pond. I don't know much about San Shou rankings and competitors either but what I do know is that Cung competed in 3 San Shou World tournaments as an amateur earning 3 Bronze medals, fought an All-China Sanda champion at an Art of War event in Hawaii and challenged Liu Hailong to a match but Hailong's management backed out. He was too big for K-1 Max and too small to fight HWs in the GPs so what was he to do? He stuck to his sport fighting any challengers available to him. Now that MMA is on the rise he has made a big jump at the peak of his career so let's see how he does in this sport.
9. Cung Le is too old to become a force in MMA
- Perhaps if you expect him to compete for 10 years. He's 35 going on 36 next month. The clock is ticking but after beating Frank Shamrock the window is wide open for him to face Top 10 competition. If he were to sign with the UFC tomorrow he could be two fights away from a title shot. Anderson Silva is 33, Rich Franklin is 33 and Dan Henderson is 37. If Cung makes the right moves he could retire atop the division before he turns 40.
10. Cung Le won't fight in the UFC because he'll get exposed
- When in doubt the haters always find a reason to claim Cung is dodging competition. He only has 6 MMA fights. Everyone was betting on Frank destroying Cung and they had to eat their words, so now that he is champion he should jump ship to prove himself in the UFC? I think its only sensible for Cung to defend his belt a few times before looking at other options. Santiago, Misaki and Lawler are all options. Dana has been calling him but Cung still has a contract with Strikeforce. Cung was actually going to compete at Pride 33 but he hurt his instep shortly before the event. What's keeping him out of the UFC for the time being is their insistence on exclusive contracts. If Strikeforce is bought out or Cung's contract expires we may hopefully see Cung in the UFC in the future.
