Steven Seagal is a musician, philanthropist, environmentalist, animal rights activist, producer, writer, reserve deputy sheriff, 7th-Dan in Aikido, Father of the Front Kick, father to sons Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, and somewhat boyishly handsome action film star. Among his elite UFC fighter brethren, he is said to be known as ‘Fritão’.
In a testament to his remarkable character, Seagal turned down an 8th-degree black belt in Aikido. He is still really good at it though.
Rafael Cavalcante is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Black House team member, then competing in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He is the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion. Studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since he was 10, he is now a black belt under his mentor, the legendary Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Cavalcante is known among his elite UFC fighter brethren as Feijão, while Nogueira is called Minotauro, or Big Nog. Or Sir.
Seagal and Cavalcante had occasion to demonstrate their fighting prowess, and luckily for us, the cameras were rolling.
How do you score this one? And how hard do you think each martial artist was trying?
What other action film stars do you think have reached a comparable level of skill?
- Bruce Lee
- Chuck Norris
- Jackie Chan
- Tony Jaa
- Jim Kelly
- Toshiro Mifune
- Sonny Chiba
- Angela Mao
- Billy Blanks
- Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Michael Jai White
- Tamara Dobson
- Bolo Yeung
- Scott Adkins
- Donnie Yen
And who is missing from this list of the Magnificent Fifteen?