Cung Le has recently begun refocusing on his mixed martial arts career, and already has an opponent in mind for his return fight. Speaking with MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Le stated he was willing to step into the cage with former Pride champion (and former opponent), Wanderlei Silva.
"I would love another shot," he said. "I feel like I didn't fight a good fight and I know I can do a lot better."
Le and Silva fought at UFC 139 in 2011. While Le got the better of Silva in the early goings of the fight, his lack of cardio opened the door for "The Axe Murderer" to storm back, which resulted in a second-round knockout. It's worth noting, however, that Silva was a short-notice replacement for Vitor Belfort, and that the fight was Le's return to MMA after 17 months out of the cage.
Le has long been one of MMA's most formidable strikers, but his career has long been marred by a lack of commitment to the sport. The Sanshou practitioner won the Strikeforce belt in 2008 by breaking one of Frank Shamrock's arms with a kick, but vacated the title without ever defending the strap to focus on his movie career. Since making his MMA debut in 2006, he has fought just 11 times.
There is little doubt that Le still has something to offer. He is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, and knocked former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin out cold with one punch...in 2012.
Le stated in January that he wanted to make good on the three remaining fights on his contract with Zuffa. However, there are few intriguing opponents out there for the 41-year-old who exiled himself from the title picture.
Wanderlei Silva, however, fits that bill and the possibility is there, given Chael Sonnen's struggles since the NSAC's ban on testosterone replacement therapy.
We'll see if Le can get on the comeback trail in the coming months.
