Yahoo: Aging action star Van Damme, 49, still wants a pro fight

[Clark Kent]

01-27-2010 04:11 PM:

Jean Claude Van Damme could whip anybody. Throw in one caveat -- on the silver screen. Now the 49-year-old Belgian star of dozens of action films wants to show he can do it for real.

Repeating what he said in September, Van Damme is trying to land a professional kickboxing match against former Olympian Somluck Kamsing in Macau as the capper to a proposed reality show. During a press conference in Ukraine (VIDEO), Van Damme explained his motivation.

"[It's] dangerous but life is short," said Van Damme. "I want to prove to young people and even to mature people that a man can go into some very strong physical effort and training, and also be a movie star."

The fight was originally slated for a March K-1 event in Las Vegas. As Cagewriter told you at the time, the fight had zero chance of coming off in Nevada:

Kamsing, 35, was the 1996 Olympic Gold medalist in boxing at 126 pounds. He also fought in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, losing to Rocky Juarez and Benoit Gaudet, respectively ... we'll rain on the parade with a reality check, the Nevada State Athletic Commission would never approve a fight with the [49-year-old] Jean Claude facing a former Olympian.

​

We nailed it. Van Damme (pictured with UFC fighter Michael Bisping) got word that the fight could not go down in the U.S. as many states have strict guidelines for fighters over 35.

Randy Couture, 46, will fight 45-year-old Mark Coleman next week in Las Vegas in the main event of UFC 109. Along with 37-year-old Frank Trigg and 35-year-old Matt Serra, Couture and Coleman had to go in front of the NSAC to undergo neurological testing and gain approval to fight. Vam Damme has zero professional fights. The four UFC fighters have a combined 93 pro fights and were still scrutinized before they were given their licenses. The only "real" fight we know of for Van Damme was a rumored scrap against fellow action star Chuck Zito.

For Van Damme, fighting a former Olympian is a brave thing to attempt, but let's hope it's closer to a reality show fight than one where he may get injured badly.



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Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.

 

[Tez3]

Okay he's older...but aging!

We had fighting on one of our shows Skip Hall who was the oldest MMA fighter in the world at the time, he's a wonderful character, an absolute gentleman and a marvellous ambassador for America as well as MMA. He is also a Vietnam vet.
He came down to our club and talked to the kids about the importance of kata and training and he had the mums sighing over his physique!
My daughter was very taken with his 'Southern' manners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Hall_(MMA)

 

[Xue Sheng]

Okay he's older...but aging!

We had fighting on one of our shows Skip Hall who was the oldest MMA fighter in the world at the time, he's a wonderful character, an absolute gentleman and a marvellous ambassador for America as well as MMA. He is also a Vietnam vet.
He came down to our club and talked to the kids about the importance of kata and training and he had the mums sighing over his physique!
My daughter was very taken with his 'Southern' manners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Hall_(MMA)

I have seen pictures of Skip Hall and his 60 looks younger than Van Damme's 49, Jean Claude has not aged well

 

[ap Oweyn]

Wait. His proposed opponent was 126 lbs?

I know Van Damme's no giant. But really?

 

[Carol]

Wait. His proposed opponent was 126 lbs?

I know Van Damme's no giant. But really?

C'mon. You weren't thinking he'd be matched with someone that could actually fight, were you?

Wiki says Van Damme is 185.

 

[Xue Sheng]

C'mon. You weren't thinking he'd be matched with someone that could actually fight, were you?

Wiki says Van Damme is 185.

Heck Skip Hall was 220

 

[Carol]

I'm confident Skip Hall doesn't have to be paired with a 126 pounder to win a fight either

 

[grydth]

Doesn't it seem sometimes that the world has become one big olde time carnival side show?

People can put anything on these days as "reality" or "sport". To me, watching Tonya Harding box Danny Bonaduce isn't quite the same thing as, say, the 1980 US Hockey Team's achievements.... if you want to spend your money on this stuff, i hope you're around when I'm selling my used vehicle.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I'm confident Skip Hall doesn't have to be paired with a 126 pounder to win a fight either

I do believe you are correct


Hey I know who Jean Claude Van Damme can fight.... and they are the same weight too.... Cung Le :EG:

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Wow VanDamme or actually VanVarenburg which is his real name has not aged well at all. Way to much of some thing......

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wow VanDamme or actually VanVarenburg which is his real name has not aged well at all. Way to much of some thing......

I believe alcohol... and other things

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Yes it is actually interesting how other things age someone.

 

[teekin]

Well it's going to be interesting to see a whole lot of fighters in about, say 10 years, if thats the case. Too bad. I'll miss them. :waah:
lori

 

[Ken Morgan]

I think everyone should push ourselves when we workout at the dojo in the gym or out on the roads during a run, otherwise what’s the point of working out at all?

I also feel that we need to be realistic about growing older too. I can’t bench 400# anymore, give me a good four months and I’ll probably be damn close, but what’s the point?

Why can’t people be happy with the memories of them kicking *** 20 years ago? In his prime, he could probably give anyone a run for their money, but that was 20 years ago.

Guys like Joe Frazier and George Foreman where amazing fighter in their day, but when they fought in their late 30’s and early 40’s, despite some of Big Georges successes, you kind of feel embarrassed for them at times.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I think everyone should push ourselves when we workout at the dojo in the gym or out on the roads during a run, otherwise what’s the point of working out at all?

I also feel that we need to be realistic about growing older too. I can’t bench 400# anymore, give me a good four months and I’ll probably be damn close, but what’s the point?

Why can’t people be happy with the memories of them kicking *** 20 years ago? In his prime, he could probably give anyone a run for their money, but that was 20 years ago.

Guys like Joe Frazier and George Foreman where amazing fighter in their day, but when they fought in their late 30’s and early 40’s, despite some of Big Georges successes, you kind of feel embarrassed for them at times.

Even in his prime, I'm not clear that Van Damme was a credible threat to any professional fighters. It simply wasn't his focus.