If Cung Le has his way, his time as a UFC fighter is over.
Speaking with Josh Gross on the Gross Point Blank podcast, Le minced no words when discussing his feelings on the UFC’s handling of his recent drug-testing issues, flatly saying, “I prefer not to put the effort into something I don’t believe in anymore.”
Cung Le asked manager Gary Ibarra to request his release from the UFC, as he just said on @yay_yee‘s podcast.
— Steven Marrocco (@MMAjunkieSteven) December 3, 2014
The statement by Le, who has always split time between mixed martial arts and acting, does not come as a surprise.
For those who missed it, Cung Le returned to the UFC after nearly two years in Hollywood as a personality on The Ultimate Fighter: China in a fight with mainstay middleweight Michael Bisping. During the buildup to the fight, Le posted a now-infamous photo to Instagram (which has since been removed, but can be seen here), sporting a suddenly chiseled frame at 42 years old.
While many, including Bisping, speculated that Le’s newly imposing musculature likely came from using performance-enhancing drugs, Le and Bisping underwent enhanced drug testing for their bout. Bisping and Le’s critics were initially vindicated when the kickboxer was flagged for elevated levels of HGH and subsequently suspended for a year.
However, as Le discussed appealing the suspension, news broke that the lab where his sample was tested was not WADA-approved and had actually destroyed Le’s sample following the test (which breaks from WADA protocol). Two weeks later, the UFC would rescind Le’s suspension.
It is unknown what the future may hold for Le, but he was quick to shoot down any notion that he was planning to rush to Bellator.
.@CungLe185 “Just because I asked UFC for my release doesn’t mean I will run right over to Bellator.
— TJ De Santis (@TJDeSantis) December 3, 2014
Worth noting, however, is that Le was also spotted recently hanging out with his former boss (and current Bellator President) Scott Coker, who built a promotion around Le in Strikeforce. It is also very possible that at age 42 he may simply become a full-time actor rather than deal with the rigors of professional athletics.
Either way, stick with Bleacher Report for more news on Le as it becomes available.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com