Chuck Norris had illegal Colosseum fight with Bruce Lee in movie that made 1,000 times its budget

Chuck Norris died today aged 86, with tributes flooding in for the late action star.

Norris started out in the US Airforce, later gaining black belts in several martial arts including Karate, Taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo, becoming a world champion in karate.

He came to prominence however through his work training celebrities, leading Steve McQueen to encourage him to take acting classes and eventually getting his major breakthrough in film through his friendship with Bruce Lee.

The pair would go on to star opposite each other in The Way of the Dragon, an iconic Hong Kong action film which went on to make 1,000 times its original budget.

The two fought in the film in the Colosseum, however a little known fact about this fight is that it was filmed totally illegally after Lee’s attempts to film there legally fell through.

What is The Way of the Dragon about and how did Chuck Norris end up starring in it?

1972’s The Way of the Dragon stars Bruce Lee as Tang Lung, with the Hong Kong native also directing and producing the film.

The movie follows a restaurant in Rome, with the owners being harassed by a local crime boss so sending a request to a relative in Hong Kong, Tang Lung.

Chuck Norris played gangster ‘Colt’ who is the antagonist of the film, and Norris and Lee knew one another from martial arts circles.

Speaking to Empire about being cast in the role, Norris said that Lee called him up with the iconic fight scene in mind because he was his old work-out partner, adding: “I was still the world karate champion then. Bruce Lee… called me up out of the blue, saying, 'I'm gonna do a fight scene in the Colosseum in Rome, like two gladiators fighting.’”

The pair’s iconic Colosseum fight was shot illegally by bribing guards

Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee (Golden Harvest)

Shooting inside the Colosseum in Rome is fully illegal, with even films like Gladiator having to recreate their own sets to replicate the real-life Gladiatorial stadium.

This wasn’t going to stop the pair however, with the fight in the Colosseum being a big part of Lee’s vision for the film.

Bruce Lee: A Life, a biography by Matthew Polly, said that Lee and the crew had to bribe Roman officials and sneak cameras in using bags, pretending to be tourists.

Whilst this gave them only a few hours, meaning that parts of the fight had to be shot elsewhere, they are one of the few movies to ever genuinely film inside the Colosseum.

The film ended up being a huge success, in part due to the scene in the Colosseum which was used heavily in the marketing.

Chuck Norris later started his own martial arts system (Golden Harvest)

Made for just $130,000 and originally intended solely for Asian audiences, but after a huge success in the US it made $130,000,000.

Speaking about their friendship, Norris told Black Belt Mag per Far Out Magazine: “The truth is Lee was a formidable opponent with a chiselled physique and technique. I totally enjoyed sparring and just spending time with him.

“He was as charismatic and friendly in the ring and at home as he was on film. His confidence and wit were dazzling, and sometimes even debilitating to others.”

Norris’ family confirmed his death aged 86 earlier today, saying in a statement: "To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”