The transcript below is from the video “Michael Jai White: Jean-Claude Van Damme is an Actor, Not a Fighter” by djvlad.

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

In this clip, Michael Jai White discussed professional fighters making the transition to film and named his favorite example. He also spoke at length about the immense respect he has for professional fighters and why he could never give an actor pretending to be a fighter the same accolades as someone literally fighting to pay their bills.

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV): 

“Right, because there’s been a number of professional fighters that transitioned into movies.  Let me think.  If you start early on, I mean Van Damme…”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Van Damme was never a professional fighter.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

 “Van Damme was never a professional fighter?!”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist): 

“No! No!”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“He just could do the splits?”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“No, he… No, he…  No, Van…  No, I’m sorry, no.

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Van Damme was never a fighter?”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“No, he was never a fighter, no.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Okay, my bad.  I’m sorry.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist): 

“No, I mean he’s sparred…”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“You guys know each other.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“I mean he and I have sparred before.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Yeah.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“He and I sparred on the set of Universal Soldier, the first one.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“The first soldier, yeah.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“But no, he’s not a you know…  No, there are some people, the number one guy…  The number one guy that is transitioned from actual fighting and actually made one of the greatest fight scenes in movie history is Benny Urquidez.  There’s nobody in his sphere.  Benny Urquidez with the fight on Meals on Wheels with Jackie Chan, Benny Urquidez is an undefeated kickboxer.  Real fighter and did one of the greatest movie fights ever!  I don’t know anybody who could top that.  Benny Urquidez is also one of my instructors.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“I mean Randy Couture, he did some acting.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Yeah, yeah, you know Randy is a real fighter?”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Yeah.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist): 

“But I mean I’m talking about that’s…”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Yeah.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“…that’s gone.  You know, Randy’s a friend and I just directed him in the movie I just…  He’s in the outlaw.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“He’s not a regular actor.  He’s done some acting.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“No, he’s a real…  Man, he’s a real ass fighter of course and he’s an actor.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“He was an actor.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“No, he’s an actor now.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“He’s done a bunch of films or…?”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Randy’s probably been in 15 movies I would think.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Okay, there you go.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Yeah, by now, yeah.

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Well, after our interview, I interviewed Taimak who was the lead actor in The Last Dragon and I brought up the whole Bruce Lee/Michael Jai White thing.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Yeah.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“He had a sort of an interesting answer.”

Taimak Guarriello (American martial arts champion, actor and stuntman, best known for his lead role as Leroy Green in movie The Last Dragon):

“I don’t care about weight, you know.  I’ve seen cats that are different weight classes like that knock out big guys, you know.  So that has nothing to do with the weight.  It has nothing to do with it.  You know, if you get…  Trust me, there’s some guys five, six or 140 pounds will kick you in your nuts.  Goodnight!”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Oh yeah, he’s supposed to answer that way.  I mean, no, I mean…”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Go ahead and play it now.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“He’s supposed to answer it that way.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Yeah, and he basically…I guess didn’t like your answer all that much.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“He should.  I don’t like my answer.  Dude!  I don’t like my answer!  That’s the thing, I should have shut the hell up.  I shouldn’t have said that and you know it’s like I’m saying, I’m talking shit about my own hero but I’m talking…  The way I’m speaking about it is because of my respect for real fighters.  I’m sorry.  I have too much respect for real fighters, right – real fighters who put bread on their table, bleeding and fighting and making that sacrifice.

Then, to call even myself or another actor to give them those same accolades, I’m not a professional fighter.  I can fight.  I’d get in a ring with anybody.  That’s the truth.  There’s no professional fighter that I won’t get in the ring with.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Right, but you do not pay your bills through fighting?”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“I do not pay my bills through fighting.  So I can’t call myself a fighter.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“You pay your bills but acting like you’re fighting in movies?”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Exactly, I pay my bills acting like I’m fighting.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Which is not an insult.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Yeah.”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“It’s a compliment.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Yeah, but you know…”

djvlad (Vlad Lyubovny known as DJ Vlad, an American DJ, director, journalist and interviewer; video and news VladTV):

“Your job’s a whole lot better than theirs.”

Michael Jai White (American actor, director, and martial artist):

“Also to be honest, to be completely honest with myself, dude, I was born with a gift.  Okay, I don’t know many fighters that are heavyweights, that are as fast as me.  If people hit me the way I’ve hit people, I don’t know if I would stand for that.  You know what I mean?  I don’t know how much heart I would have that you know…  This, my heart goes out to people who get their ass kicked, rise, get their ass kicked, rise, and keep going.

I don’t know if I would have had that.  Like John Jones, like Conor McGregor, I’ve had physical gifts that I used to my advantage.  And Conor, I mean I have all the respect for that dude in the world because he would fight, get beat, and come back you know.  He has physical gifts.  There are some people who are just gifted or a little faster than other people like say, Anderson Silva.  When that started to dissipate and you don’t see him…

You saw that he maybe wasn’t willing to trade very much, right?  I don’t know if I would be of that variety to where my physical gifts are slowing down and I’m going to still keep with it.  You know what I mean?  So, but my heart goes out to people who fight, who really fight and I can’t give an actor the same accolades as people who fight for a living.”