This week, Hollywood says goodbye to Aki Aleong, the esteemed actor and 90s songwriter who passed away at the age of 90. Best known for his performances in No Down Payment, Braddock: Missing in Action, and as the principal elder in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993), Aleong leaves behind an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. The latter film remains one of the most acclaimed biographical tributes to martial arts legend Bruce Lee, with Jason Scott Lee delivering a powerful lead performance.
Aleong didn’t just shine on screen; he also took a swing at producing and executive roles, showing his versatility in the game. As his longtime wife Conchita shared, the veteran star had been fighting dementia, which ultimately resulted in his unexpected passing. Aki Aleong, a proud son of Trinidad and Tobago, wasn’t just another face in the film industry—he was a relentless champion for minority rights, gaining immense respect in Hollywood over the years.
As news of his passing spreads this week, tributes are pouring in. Among them, his former co-star Jean-Claude Van Damme, famed for Bloodsport, honored Aki Aleong on Instagram Story, writing,
“Respect to the talented and wonderful Aki Aleong. Farewell my friend. From Thailand and The Quest to Hong Kong and Pound of Flesh.”
We Die Young 2019 – filmstill Jean-Claude Van Damme & Nicholas Sean Johnny We Die Young 2019 – – – EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xCAP/RFSx
Aki Aleong and Jean-Claude Van Damme collaborated twice during their careers. Their first on-screen partnership came in the martial arts film The Quest, directed by Van Damme himself, where Aleong played the role of a trainer. They reunited for Pound of Flesh, with Aleong portraying a character named Kung. Over the course of his decades-long career, Aleong became known as a prolific character actor, racking up more than 130 film and television credits. Beyond the screen, he also had a career in music and even worked with Frank Sinatra as a singer on Sinatra’s own label.
Did Joe Rogan almost fight Wesley Snipes?
For more than three decades, Joe Rogan has been the unmistakable voice of the UFC. He began his journey with the promotion in 1997, working as a backstage interviewer for post-fight segments. Things changed dramatically when Dana White and his partners acquired the UFC for $2 million, a move that elevated Rogan’s role within the company. That shift led to his debut as a color commentator at UFC 37.5 in 2002, marking the beginning of his iconic run behind the mic.
A lifelong martial artist, Joe Rogan is a highly skilled Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner under Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet system. Throughout the years, he has been instrumental in propelling the UFC into the mainstream spotlight. In a surprising chapter of MMA history, UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren almost arranged a fight between Joe Rogan and Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who was initially expected to fight Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Recalling the story on his podcast, Rogan explained that while the original idea was a Van Damme vs. Snipes showdown, McLaren had a different approach in mind. He believed Snipes should square off against someone active in the MMA world. Rogan revealed,
“He’s like, ‘nobody’s gonna pay to see you and Jean-Claude Van Damme fight. You have to fight someone who was ‘current’. So, he said, ‘would you fight Joe Rogan?’ And he said, ‘Yup, let’s do it’. So, they came to me, and I went, ‘How much money?’ And then they started talking, then I said, ‘OK, let’s see what happens’.”
Joe Rogan stepping into the Octagon against Wesley Snipes is exciting to imagine at this moment. If that fight had actually gone down, who do you think would’ve walked away with the win? Drop your predictions in the comments below!
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