Bas Rutten

At 59 years old, Bas Rutten has this physical status:

Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (Dutch pronunciation: [bs]rt="n)] (born 24 February 1965) is a Dutch-American actor, former mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase world champion, and he ended his career with a 22-fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw). "We] ran the numbers on Rutten's career, not necessarily." When Rutten was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, FightMetric wrote this: "We" ran the numbers on his career. They support the Dutchman's induct into the UFC Hall of Fame and then some. Rutten's powerful strike accuracy was 76%, the highest FightMetric has ever recorded, made a record 53 submissions and defeated his opponents a record 46 times in the 4-hours, 27 minutes, and 8-seconds he spent as a pro fighter. Rutten appeared on Inside MMA from 2007 to 2016. In the late 1990s, Rutten became a naturalized American citizen and was granted citizenship.

As a professional fighter, the liver shot was one of his favorite tactics, and he's popularized its use in MMA. Rutten is well-known for his charisma, and he has benefited from his fame since retiring from combat in 1999. He has appeared in numerous television shows, films, and video games, as a color commentator in several MMA organisations, including Pride. He has worked with MMA and has written several instructional books.

Early life

Rutten was born in Tilburg, Netherlands. He developed eczema and severe asthma at the age of six. His eczema meant he always wore long sleeves, turtle necks, and gloves, as well as his asthma, which made him unable to partake in exercise and was therefore very slim. As a child, he was bullied on a daily basis.

Bas began training in boxing in the backyard of an elementary school with a friend. Rutten became interested in martial arts at age 12 while family members went on holiday to France, where Bruce Lee, starring Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, was playing at a local movie theater. Bas couldn't get into because the movie was rated 17+, so he and his brother Sjoerd snuckled into the theatre. After seeing the film, he became interested in martial arts. His conservative parents discouraged him from attending his hobby at first, but his parents allowed him to play taekwondo at age 14, after two years of begging his parents. He picked it up quickly and after a few months, he became involved in a street brawl with the city's biggest bully. Rutten, who had been more confident, took the challenge and KO'd the bully's nose, KO'ing him with the first punch he threw. The officers arrived at his parents' house, and Rutten was immediately barred from engaging in martial arts.

At the age of 21, he stepped out of his parents' house and began learning taekwondo. He was devoted to his cause and eventually earned his second degree black belt. He began learning Kyokushin karate and earned his 2nd-degree black belt.

Personal life

Rutten and his partner Karin are married and two children, Sabine and Bianca, who live in Westlake Village, California. Rutten also has a daughter from his first marriage; her name is Rachele. He became a citizen of the United States 20 years ago. He had his first grandchild by the end of 2015, a grandson from Rachele who now lives in Belgium.

Rutten, a former UFC competitor, is back in the Netherlands, and he's best buddies with former UFC champion Gerard Gordeau.

Rutten is also known as "El Guapo," which in Spanish means "The Handsome One."

He began winning a fight and was rumored for the victory parade "Rutten Jump," in which he would do a jumping split after winning a fight. On his website, Rutten talked about the Rutten Jump: "I was so pumped that I won my first fight in Pancrase that I jumped up in the splits to each side of the fight."

Why?

I'm not positive. However, it became my mark and I had to do it after every match that I won."

Rutten and Bas Rutten co-founded Grandma's Kitchen in 2010 in conjunction with clothing chain Tokyo Five. The show's pilot was supposed to air on February 26, 2010; however, due to physical alteration between Rutten and co-hosts, production was postponed indefinitely.

Rutten is a practicing Catholic who speaks out on YouTube about his faith in God. Rutten, who was raised in a Catholic family, stopped attending church at 12 years old when his parents stopped attending Mass, but he returned to the faith in 2013. Kevin James, as well as others, has been praised by him for his conversion to Catholicism. Rutten has spoken out against anti-Catholic bigotry in Hollywood.

Rutten has several tattoos, each of which is designed to assist him physically and emotionally.

Bas Rutten is well-known for his brawls and bar fights around the world. Varelans tried to bite Paul Varelans in a glass window in Russia by a kimura lock, and immediately after, he disarmed and assaulted an armed bouncer, he immediately struck an unconscious bouncer. He was also involved in a brawl at a Stockholm bar, in which he fought several bouncers at the same time. Rutten was arrested in a Swedish prison for a fight in particular.

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Kickboxing career

Bas Rutten began competing in kickboxing at the age of 20, while also acting as a bouncer and model. He fought 16 times, winning the first 14 matches by knockout, 13 in the first round, and losing his last two matches. On February 12, 1991, one of them will face Frank Lobman for the European Muay Thai title, with Rutten losing by KO in the first round. Rutten said he registered for the match under pressure and without any prior planning, but he refused to pull out. Rene Rooze was a victim in another of his most famous matches, biting Rutten's ear during the game. Bas landed a knee to the groin, causing the match to be called off and sparking a brawl.

Mixed martial arts career

Rutten began his professional mixed martial arts career as an entertainer. Chris Dolman scouted him and was accepted to train at the Battle Network RINGS Holland dojo. Despite the fact that his first training session was difficult, he concentrated on learning the fundamentals of the art. Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki, two Japanese pro wrestlers, travelled to the Netherlands to scout the country's newest "hybrid wrestling" group, Pancrase, were quickly selected. The group was the first of its kind and featured combat with no closed fisted strikes to the face, and it was praised by early MMA names Frank Shamrock, Vernon White, Maurice Smith, Ken Shamrock, and Guy Mezger as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts.

Rutten made his Pancrase debut against the 45lb heavy Ryushi Yanagisawa, knocking him out with palms and knee strikes in less than 48 seconds in September 1993. The KO was so brutal that Yanagisawa was removed from the band and spent two days in hospital, with Bas himself worried for his health. Rutten's second match, on the other hand, will be against Takaku Fuke, who is also experienced, and it will highlight his biggest weakness, which is his lack of groundfighting expertise. Fuke took Rutten down and locked an armbar, causing the Dutch fighter to spend a rope break, but Bas was able to win with a win.

In Pancrase, his third match would be his first defeat as he took on a strong adversary in the form of Pancrase founder Masakatsu Funaki. Rutten was taken down and coerced to close guard, a moment in which he mistakenly struck Funaki with a closed-fisted punch. When he tried to apologise, the Japanese fighter exploited and launched a toehold, earning Rutten to call out. Rutten understood the importance of the grappling aspect early in his career and began using Pancrase training to train his trainee Leon Van Dijk.

Rutten supplied Japanese wrestler Kazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashi with an inverted heel hook during a grappling match that had been overconfidently launched by Kazuo, proving that the training paid off. After finding out the truth, the hold shattered Takahashi's shin bone and earned Rutten an honorary 5th-degree black belt in Kyokushin Budokai. Rutten then won his first high-level match against Pancrase's other co-founder, Minoru Suzuki, who had previously undefeated Minoru Suzuki. On a downed Suzuki, the Dutch fighter crashed him down with a body kick and then crashed to a knee to the liver, finishing him off. Rutten later said that this victory was one of his life's best moments.

Rutten put on another challenging encounter, fighting former UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, who was then one of the best Pancrase fighters, just 20 days later. Masakatsu Funaki himself was in his corner this time, as he had managed to convince the Japanese to properly teach him how to wrestle. Rutten was a spirited fight, being taken down by Shamrock and held in a neutral position for the majority of the match. Rutten was rescued from rope rescues by giving him a pair of heel hooks and a rear naked choke, and although Rutten continued to try, he was eventually choked out. Rutten decided to omit strikes from his training and concentrated solely on grappling, and he recovered from his humiliation after losing by a submission to Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jason DeLucia, who had trading submission attempts with him before ending the match with a guillotine choke.

Rutten appeared in one of the top mixed martial arts exhibitions in history in December 1994, the King of Pancrase Tournament. The first champion of Pancrase will be named by the tournament's champion. Rutten was one of the top seeds in the tournament, and his first match was against MMA newcomer and eventual UFC champion Frank Shamrock. Rutten locked a previous rear naked choke under the wires, only to have the referee to break it up without deducting a missing point from Frank. The two nullified each other until the end of the game, which culminated in Shamrock's controversial decision win. Frank also suffered from a high kick, leading to a foul nose in the game.

Rutten found some solace in his near-losing by coughing out seasoned grappler and King of Pancrase Tournament Finalist Manabu Yamada in his upcoming bout on January 26, 1995. Rutten was led to the ground but he clamped an arm triangle choke from half guard, putting an end to Yamada's refusal to tap out, he was choked out and staggered with his eyes wide open after the hold. Rutten received a rematch and a championship shot against tournament champion and then-current King of Pancrase Ken Shamrock for the King of Pancrase title on March 10. The match was highly awaited, but it came too early after Shamrock executed a kneebar and compelled Rutten to surrender. According to the Dutch, the loss was due to his work partner Funaki's teaching him the wrong way to get a kneebar, causing Rutten to turn in the opposite direction, putting the brakes on Shamrock tighter. Rutten continued to push himself and started training 2 to 3 times a day solely on submissions after this failure.

Rutten's new workout paid off, with him winning over Takaku Fuke as a result of an armbar from the guard and a finishing heel hook. He then met American kickboxing champion Maurice Smith, who in turn collapsed to the ground to prevent Bas from striking. Rutten fought with him and displayed his engineering bribery, firstly presenting Smith with a heel hook on his own chin and then executing a figure-four toehold for the victory. Rutten faced Frank Shamrock in a rematch on July 23, 2007, after dispatching next Jason DeLuca by submission as well. Their combat was similar to the first one, with both men trading and holding positions, as well as one man's controversial break up two kneebars that were performed by Rutten next to the ropes, but Rutten was still wining the split decision.

After winning, he was given a challenge title match against King of Pancrase Minoru Suzuki in September 1995, which was their rematch from the start of their careers. The match was long and tense, with Suzuki rode Rutten leading most of their exchanges in the fight and then having him to spend a rope to get a tight kneebar. Rutten's defensive acumen, occasionally countering with guillotine chokes, and a rare rolling kneebar from standing until the game came to its conclusion. Rutten launched a front kick to the body that stunned Suzuki and culminated in a guillotine choke, knocking out the King of Pancrase.

Rutten returned to the ring in a rematch against Maurice Smith after suspending his championship defenses due to an injury. Smith planned to have him down every time possible, but Rutten converted a half guard sweep into a rear naked choke for the tap out. It will be his first match against the man he debuted against in Pancrase, Ryushi Yanagisawa, and the match lasted 27:35 minutes. Rutten had three straight submissions through the game before ending it with another rear naked choke, despite breaking his hand during the match.

Rutten defeated Lion's Den fighter and future Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Guy Mezger in March 1996. Rutten dominated the stand-up with liver shots and palm strikes, causing Mezger to drag him down and meet him on the ground. Mezger was able to control Rutten, but was unable to make a submission, while the Dutch defended and capitalized on the stand-up segments to inflict harm. Rutten locked a heel hook version to submit Mezger at the end of a leglock exchange.

Rutten defended his title against Frank Shamrock in their third match, as well as Shamrock's interim King of Pancrase title. Shamrock climbed to a north-south position several times, but Rutten was unable to submit Rutten, and Rutten was knocked down by an open-handed uppercut. In a failed takedown, the two fighters fought, and eventually fell off the ring. Frank shaming Rutten after sticking out his tongue at him during a leglock exchange, causing Bas to punch him in the chest with a close punch, but Shamrock expected that as Shamrock expected. Rutten won the fight by TKO due to an eye injury, unifying the King of Pancrase belts at the end.

Rutten had his rubber match against Jason DeLuca right after his match against Shamrock. DeLucia's fight was tense, with DeLucia's assertion that Rutten had struck him with a closed fist, resulting in a yellow card and a red card later. Rutten fired several shots to DeLuca's liver, rupturing it and knocking him out painfully.

Rutten defended his undisputed title against Masakatsu Funaki in what is considered to be one of the best fights in Pancrase history on September 7th. Rutten managed to fend Funaki off for the remainder of the match after being forced to limp like he did against Suzuki earlier in the game, but the Japanese wrestler came near to ending the match with an ankle lock. Funaki started leglock attacks by utilizing the knee-on-stomach and mount position, but the Dutch attacked Masakatsu every time and ultimately pushed him out of the stadium, where the Japanese threw an unlawful kick to Rutten while getting up. In reaction, the Dutch fighter knocked Funaki down with a palm strike and then broke his nose with a second palm attack to a supine Masakatsu. With Rutten, the stunned Japanese tried to trade hits, but Baston was able to cash in on the rage with his legendary striking game. Rutten knocked him down two times with palms and knees, and he continued with a slew of hits until he was stopped for the KO victory. He became a three-time King of Pancrase by doing so.

In an interview, Rutten recalled the conflict with Funaki: In an interview, he recalled the war with Funaki: "They were not armed."

His upcoming match was a rematch with Manabu Yamada that lasted just 0:54 before Rutten ordered him to tap out to a leg-entangled toehold. Following the match, he relinquished his status to attend the birth of his second daughter.

Rutten was back in Pancrase on Tuesday, against Osami Shibuya in a match in which he was unexpectedly forced to fight for the draw after his own sternum broke through the match. The Dutchman recovered the crash in a match with Shibuya in which he recovered the Japanese with a spinal lock from his ura-gatame position, which he described as "Bas Rutten Neck Crank."

Rutten won 8 more matches in Pancrase, bringing his undefeated streak to 19 straight fights.

Rutten left Pancrase as one of the organisation's most effective combaters. Ken Shamrock, the MMA champion, was the only Rutten warrior to not avenge a loss. A third match against Shamrock was enjoyed in 2000, when Rutten was PRIDE FC's color commentator. Rutten has decided to come out of retirement to face Shamrock in PRIDE FC. Shamrock said he had already defeated Rutten twice before, but that a third time wasn't necessary. Rutten said in 2002 that even if it was offered to him because of their friendship over the years and that he would not put his mind and heart into fighting Ken.

Rutten was first told about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) before its first appearance in 1993, when then-British competitor Ken Shamrock suggested it to him, but Rutten kept in Pancrase because the "no rules" system was too risky and he did not want to risk his career so early. Nevertheless, after his Pancrase career, he signed with the United FC in 1998. Rutten came into the UFC with a lot of hype; he was undefeated in his last 19 fights and was regarded as the world's best martial artist" by the organization.

Rutten had intended to face Randy Couture in a championship match for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in his first fight, but Couture had a labor dispute and forced the team to switch to a different format. The title was then stripped from Couture, and a tournament of sorts was organized to select the next champion. Hence, the Dutchman's first fight in his fight for the UFC belt came against Fighting Network RINGS exponent Tsuyoshi Kosaka at UFC 18. Rutten was repeatedly knocked and struck with ground and pound during the match, but he ended up scoring a spectacular KO with just a minute remaining in overtime. Referee John McCarthy continued to unfairly stand down as Kosaka was mounted on Rutten and punching out clean punches, prompting the fight to be a point of contention.

Rutten met Kevin Randleman for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on May 7th, 1999, at UFC 20, 20. Rutten's face was bloodied, but Rutten landed a hard blow to Randleman's liver, securing his fight for the remainder of the game. They then exchanged strikes in Bas's guard, with the Dutch fighter opening a cut in Randleman by elbow strikes on the top of his head until the end of the overtime. The judges decided in the split decision over Rutten, naming him as the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Fans and experts of the sport alike reacted angrily, including Randleman's case and Mark Coleman, who criticized the judges' decision. At that point, weight judging was not based on the latest 10-point muster system, but on who the judges ruled overall.

Rutten vacated the title later this year in order to lose weight (now known as light heavyweight) a weight closer to his natural weight in an attempt to become the first person to hold a UFC championship in two weight classes. However, he would return to work in 1999 despite suffering multiple serious injuries, including blowing out his knee (a long-running injury), breaking his biceps, and suffering a neck injury. For the time being, he was forced to withdraw from MMA due to a doctor's order.

When he was contacted by Pride Fighting Championships, he was supposed to fight Kazushi Sakuraba, but Rutten turned down due to a lack of fighting funds, preferring to sign up as a war commentator. In the card, Wanderlei Silva had been recalled.

Rutten will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame during International Fight Week in July, according to UFC President Dana White on Inside MMA on May 22nd. Rutten is the first European to be inducted into the United States' new-look Hall of Fame's "Pioneers" wing.

Tito Ortiz, a former Light Heavyweight champion, has credited Rutten for inspiring him in his youth. "I looked up to Bas Rutten," Ortiz said. Bas was my idol. People were just afraid of battling him, because he was like the guy. I had assumed that this was what I needed to do right now. If I train as hard as he does, one day I'll be as good as him, and two years later, I'm on the top of the world. "Bas): I've got to thank you for helping me out by making me believe in dreams."

Rutten announced his return to MMA in May 2006. Rutten was scheduled to face Kimo Leopoldo in the now-defunct World War Alliance on July 22, 2006, at The Forum in Los Angeles, with doctors advising him to combat again. Kimo was positive for Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid two days before the event. Rutten defeated Ruben "Warpath" Villareal in place of Kimo. Rutten won by virtue of a technical knockout after his opponent was unable to move due to poor kicks. He set his professional record to 28 victories and 1 draw. Rutten screened positive for hydrocodone, morphine, and diphenhydramine after the war.

Professional wrestling career

Following his time in Pancrase, Rutten competed in Japanese professional wrestling. He made his debut at the Inoki Bom-Ye 2000 tournament, where he joined up with Alexander Otsuka to defeat Naoki Sano and Ricco Rodrez's team, with Rutten presenting Sano with a crossface chicken wings. He wrestled in Battlarts, defeating Carl Malenko by KO via palm strike.

Rutten debuted in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2002 as a member of Antonio Inoki's MMA army. He was featured in vignettes gaining the dazzling wizard from Keiji Mutoh tapes in order to transition to NJPW professional wrestling before his first match. He dominated singles matches, defeating rookies and veterans like Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshichi Tanahashi, and Masayuki Naruse. He qualified for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Yuji Nagata in July but was disqualified. He appeared in a special referee match against Osamu Nishimura in October after three months. Despite Nishimura's unlawful blows, the game came to a time limit draw after ten rounds. Rutten dropped down to the junior heavyweight division for another title match against Koji Kanemoto for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, but he was dissatisfied.

Post-fight career

Rutten's retirement from combat in 1999, he concentrated on becoming an actor, appearing in TV shows like Martial Law, 18 Wheels of Justice, "Lights Out," and the Canadian series Freedom, as well as appearing in low budget films such as Shadow Fury, The Eliminator, and the comedy short The Kingdom of Ultimate Power, which were all displayed in the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. It also took home the first prize at the short film festival in New York for "best comedy."

Rutten was also the color commentator for England Pride Championships events, broadcasting virtually every event from Pride 1 to the 2005 Grand Prix. Rutten became a fan favorite commentator due to his comedic timing and first-hand knowledge of the game. He announced in April 2006 that he would not return to Pride due to the constant flying to Japan and being away from his family every month.

In the video game "The Men's Room," Rutten appears in Grand Theft Auto IV. He also did motion capture for the main character's combat moves. He said he asked the people in charge how violent they wanted to have it when he arrived at the motion-capture hospital in New York, and they told him to "give it all he got." "It's fine, you don't have to go any further," the couple said after two hours.

He appeared in WCW vs. the World on PlayStation, but he was also featured in "Thunder Dome" to avoid copyright abuses.

He was announced as the new Vice President of Fighter Operations, reporting directly to IFL CEO Jay Larkin on January 23, 2008. His job was to foster links between the IFL and its fighters as well as work on potential match-ups between fighters. With Kenny Rice, he also appeared on "Battleground" and "International Fight League." When IFL went bankrupt in late 2008, it came to an end.

He appeared in the music video for Listen to Your Friends by the rock band New Found Glory in 2009, "battling" lead vocalist Jordan Pundik. On AXS TV, Bas and Rice appeared inside MMA, a weekly MMA variety show. On HDNet, the two also did remote English commentary and play-by-play for Dream events on television in North America. Guy Mezger and Michael Schiavello, who live in Japan, eventually replaced the pair. He is currently featured in public health service ads on Cartoon Network, which are also available on Cartoon Network. He made a public service announcement against trying out MMA at home, but CagePotato dismissed it for its mixed messages.

Rutten appeared in the 2012 American sports comedy film Here Comes the Boom, starring Kevin James and Henry Winkler. Rutten played the part of a former MMA soldier and Niko, a Dutch immigrant, in the quest for American citizenship. In exchange for his service in obtaining citizenship, Niko helps prepare 42-year-old biology teacher Scott (Kevin James) to become a MMA fighter in the United Kingdom. Among others, former UFC fighter Krzysztof Soszynski, former Muay Thai kickboxer Mark DellaGrotte, and cameo roles for Bruce Buffer, Chael Sonnen, Jason Miller, Satoshi Ishii, Mark Muay, Wanderlei Silva, and Joe Rogan appear in the film, as well as actor Joe Rogan.

Rutten and Todd Harris, along with Todd Harris, announced Rutten as a member of the World Series of Fighting on NBCSN on October 23nd.

Rutten now works as a commentator for Karate Combat.

Rutten has been licensed as an instructor of both Thai Boxing and mixed martial arts, as well as krav maga.

During the filming of HBO's The Smashing Machine, Rutten mentored Mark Kerr.

Rutten served as a team coach for the International Fight League, a MMA group that concentrated on team combat in 2006. The Anacondas' team beat the Silverbacks 3–2. He has served as a former investor in the Legends MMA gym in Hollywood and has used to teach there occasionally, and is now a member of Bas Rutten's Elite Mixed Martial Arts in Thousand Oaks, California. On Tuesdays, he teaches a MMA class.

Kimbo Slice has also trained for his professional MMA fights, as well as professional wrestler Samoa Joe.

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