Ron Van Clief
Biography
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.
Also Known As
Movie Appearances
Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
as The Boxer
1980
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
as Self
1994
Kung Fu Fever
as Black Dragon
1979
The Black Dragon
as The Black Dragon
1974
Black Dragon's Revenge
as Black Dragon
1975
Way of the Black Dragon
as Bill Eaton
1978
Bamboo Trap
1975
The Super Weapon
as Himself
1976
The Squeeze
as Duke
1978
Colorz of Rage
as Diciple
1999
Enter the Clones of Bruce
as Self
2023
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief
as Self
2020
Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee
as Self
1993
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
as Self
2019
That's Brucesploitation! Making Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
2020
Top Fighter
as Self
1995
Hot Lead Hard Fury
as Solomon Link
2018
Snow Black
as Jerrod Camden
2021
Blazin'
as Davis
2001
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
1994