Known for

Acting

Born

Jan 25, 1943 (83 years old)

Place of birth

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Ron Van Clief

Ron "The Black Dragon" Van Clief is a martial arts legend. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943, he started martial arts training in his early teens. At 5 feet 10 inches and 190 pounds, Van Clief was fast, powerful, and tough. He won 10 New York State Full-Contact Karate Championships. He won multiple Karate Point-Fighting Titles. By the early 1970s he had earned his 10th Degree Black Belt. His karate record was reported to be 110-8. In 1994 at age 51, he launched a comeback on December 16, 1994 fighting former World JuJitsu Lightheavyweight and Ultimate Fighting World Champion Royce Gracie. The Black Dragon landed one good punch, but was taken to the canvas where after a valiant battle was choked into submission, thus ending one of the greatest fighting careers in martial arts history.

Titles

Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks

Movie • 2019

Enter the Clones of Bruce

Movie • 2023

The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief

Movie • 2023

Black Dragon's Revenge

Movie • 1975

Fist of Fear, Touch of Death

Movie • 1980

Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee

Movie • 1993

Kung Fu Fever

Movie • 1979

Colorz of Rage

Movie • 1999

UFC 7: The Brawl In Buffalo

Movie • 1995

Blazin'

Movie • 2001

The Squeeze

Movie • 1978

UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors

Movie • 1994

Bamboo Trap

Movie • 1975

The Black Dragon

Movie • 1974

Snow Black

Movie • 2021