Apparently, the 49-year old Jean-Claude Van Damme wants to die. Or at least risk it. Why else would the former martial-artist-turned-actor want to step back into the ring in a mixed martial arts battle with 1996 Olympic gold medal winner Somluck Kamsing. The fight would be the finale of a proposed reality series Van Damme is shopping around, according to Examiner.com.
The risks to his health are tremendous. He's been out of fighting since he took up acting, which is three decades ago now, and there's the factor of his advanced age. MMA fights don't hold back, so Kamsing should be coming at him as hard as he can. Van Damme was incredibly skilled, so there's a chance, but why is this a risk worth taking now?
His film career seems to be resurging in the past few years. 2008's independent release JCVD received tremendous critical acclaim. The following year he joined forces with Dolph Lundgren for the third film in the Universal Soldier series. It may not be Brad Pitt huge, but its respectable enough.
Or maybe he's just trying to reclaim some of his younger glory. Are you worried about Van Damme in this fight, or do you think he can pull this off? Rocky Balboa came back strong in his later years, and life can mimic fiction, right?
