Famous Hollywood star and martial arts expert Jean-Claude Van Damme and MMA fighter Jeff Monson will not be attending international penchak silat show tournament - Asian Fight 2017 in Tashkent on September 9.
The head of the tournament's press service, Jamshid Khojiakbarov said at a briefing on Wednesday that Jean-Claude Van Damme will not attend due to health issues.
"Unfortunately, Jean-Claude Van Damme will not come to Uzbekistan. According to his assistant, Van Damme had fallen seriously ill and now is in Los Angeles. He asked to convey his apologies," Khojiakbarov said.
He added that a contract has already been signed with the actor, with the fee, plane ticket paid in advance and hotel room already booked. "The money hasn't yet been refunded. We found out about his health issues tonight. We searched for a replacement quite for some time, and our choice fell on Steven Seagal. We have already signed a contract with him," he added.
As for Jeff Monson, his contract was linked to the arrival of Jean-Claude Van Damme. "In the contract it was stated that Jeff Monson will attend the show together with Van Damme. But since the actor is not coming, the contract with Monson has also been terminated," he said.
He said that fans can return tickets if they wish. "If fans bought tickets only to see Jean-Claude Van Damme, then we can refund their money. If they want to support the Uzbek fighters, then we are waiting for them on September 9," the head of the press service oncluded.
