Bruce Lee, 32, 1940-1973

Bruce Lee’s name is almost synonymous with martial arts, and he was also an actor known for his style: Jeet Kune Do, which emphasizes both the spiritual and physical aspects of martial arts. For Lee, both the East and West place different emphases on each.

While in Hong Kong, filming for Enter The Dragon, Lee collapsed. He suffered from seizures and headaches, and on July 20, 1973, the great martial artist would pass on. He didn’t even make it to the Enter The Dragon premiere, which took place six days before his passing. Since then, many have credited his style as paving the way for Mixed Martial Arts.