Bas Rutten

Sebastiaan"Bas"Rutten(Dutch pronunciation:[ˈbɑsˈrʏtə(n)];born 24 February 1965) is a Dutch-American actor, formermixed martial artist,kickboxerandprofessional wrestler.As a kickboxer, he fought 16 times, winning the first 14 matches by knockout, 13 in the first round, and losing his final two fights, one of them againstFrank Lobmanfor the European Muay Thai title in 1991, with Rutten losing by knockout in the first round. In MMA, he was aUFC Heavyweight Championand a three-timeKing of Pancraseworld champion. After his loss toKen Shamrockin 1995, he finished his MMA career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw).

Bas Rutten
Rutten in 2009
Born	Sebastiaan Rutten (1965-02-24)24 February 1965 Tilburg,Netherlands
Other names	El Guapo( "The Handsome One" )
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Heavyweight Openweight
Fighting out of	Los Angeles, California,US
Trainer	Cor Hemmers Chris Dolman Roland Jansen Wim Vlieger Masakatsu Funaki Mekki Benazzouz
Rank	5th dan black belt inKyokushin Karate 2nd dan black belt inTaekwondo Certified instructor inPancrase Hybrid Wrestling
Years active	1993–1999, 2006
Kickbo xingrecord
Total	16
Wins	14
By knockout	14
Losses	2
Mixed martial artsrecord
Total	33
Wins	28
By knockout	11
By submission	14
By decision	3
Losses	4
By submission	3
By decision	1
Draws	1
Other information
Spouse	Karin Rutten ​ (m.2003)​
Children	3
Website	basrutten
Mixed martial arts recordfromSherdog
Last updated on: 21 March 2011(2011-03-21)

As a professional fighter, one of his favorite tactics was theliver shot(both punch and kick), and he popularized its use in MMA.Since his retirement, he has worked as acolor commentatorin several martial arts organizations, includingPrideandKarate Combat(KC), and has appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and video games. From 2007 to 2016, he was the co-host ofInside MMAonAXS TV.Rutten also coaches MMA and has authored several instructional materials. In 2008, Rutten was ranked byInside MMAas the fourth-greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time.In 2015, he was inducted in theUFC Hall of Fame.Rutten became anaturalizedAmerican citizen in the late 1990s.

Early life

Rutten was born inTilburg,Netherlands. At the age of six, he developedeczemaand severeasthma.His eczema meant he always wore long sleeves, turtle necks and gloves, as well as bandages every night, and his asthma meant he was unable to partake in exercise, and was consequently relatively skinny. He wasbulliedon a daily basis as a child, although he hid it from his parents in order to spare them more worrying.He learned to climb trees and jump between treetops to evade his bullies, who eventually stopped chasing him when one of them fell and almost died trying to follow him.

Rutten started training in bo xing in the backyard of an elementary school with a friend. Rutten became interested in martial arts at age 12 after his family went on vacation to France, where the movieEnter the DragonstarringBruce Leewas playing at a local movie theatre. Bas could not get in because the movie was rated 17+, so he and his brother Sjoerd snuck into the theatre. After he saw the movie, he took an interest in martial arts.Rutten even built a makeshiftnunchakuto emulate Lee.

At first, his conservative parents did not allow him to pursue his interest but at age 14, after two years of begging, they allowed him to practicetaekwondo.He picked it up very quickly, even defeating adults in sparring, and after a few months he got in a street fight with his worst bully, whom Rutten knocked out with the first punch he threw, breaking his nose. The police came to his parents' house and Rutten was immediately prohibited by his parents from further practicing martial arts. Even then, Rutten made a list with all of his bullies and beat them up one by one.

At age 21, he moved out of his parents' house, going to work as achefas he went to culinary school for four years.He also started training taekwondo once again. He was committed, eventually earning a 2nd degreeblack belt.He then began learningKyokushinkarate and earned a 2nd-degree black belt.

Kickbo xing career

Bas Rutten started competing inkickbo xingat the age of 20 while working also as abouncerandmodel.He fought 16 times, winning the first 14 matches by knockout, 13 in the first round, and losing his final two fights.One of them would be againstFrank Lobmanfor the European Muay Thai title on 12 February 1991, with Rutten losing by KO in the first round.According to Rutten, he signed up for the match while under the influence and without any kind of earlier preparation, but he decided not to pull out.He decided to end soon his kickbo xing career after being criticized for this single match.His second to last fight was againstRene Rooze,who bit Rutten's ear during the match. In response, Bas landed a knee to the groin, which interrupted the bout and caused a brawl.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Rutten began his professionalmixed martial artscareer when he was working as an entertainer. He was scouted byChris Dolmanand invited to train at theFighting Network RINGSHolland dojo. Though his first training was a difficult start for him, he focused on learning the rudiments of the art.In 1993, when Japanese pro wrestlersMasakatsu FunakiandMinoru Suzukitraveled to the Netherlands to scout fighters for their new "hybrid wrestling" organization,Pancrase,Rutten was immediately chosen after they saw him knocking out the RINGS champion in sparring.A precursor to modern mixed martial arts, the organization was the first of its kind and featured fighting with no closed fisted strikes to the face, and boasted early MMA namesFrank Shamrock,Vernon White,Maurice Smith,Ken Shamrock,andGuy Mezger.

Pancrase

1993

In September 1993, Rutten had his debut in Pancrase against the 45lb heavierRyushi Yanagisawa,knocking him out with palms and knee strikes in only 48 seconds. The KO was so brutal that Yanagisawa was carried from the ring and spent two days in hospital, with Bas himself fearing for his life.Rutten's second match, however, would be against a more experienced opponent, Takaku Fuke, and it would expose his main weakness, his lack ofgroundfightingexperience. Fuke took Rutten down and locked anarmbar,which forced the Dutch fighter to spend a rope escape, though Bas was eventually able to land a knee strike to the liver to finish the match with a win.

1994

His third match would be his first loss in Pancrase, as he faced a superior opponent in the form of Pancrase founder Masakatsu Funaki. Rutten was taken down and forced to close guard, a moment in which he accidentally hit Funaki with a closed-fisted punch. When he tried to apologize, the Japanese fighter capitalized and executed atoehold,making Rutten tap out. At that point of his career, Rutten realized the importance of the grappling aspect, and he started taping Pancrase trainings in order to practice those moves with his trainee Leon Van Dijk.

The training paid off, as Rutten submitted Japanese wrestlerKazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashiwith an inverted heel hook during a grappling exchange that had been overconfidently initiated by Kazuo. The hold itself, which Rutten had learned the previous day by watching it in a promo, completely broke Takahashi's shin bone and earned Rutten an honorary 5th-degree black belt in Kyokushin Budokai byJon Blumingafter he witnessed it.Rutten then got his first high-level win against the other co-founder of Pancrase, the previously undefeatedMinoru Suzuki.The Dutch fighter knocked him down with a body kick, resisted successfully all his submissions attempts on the ground and then hit a knee to the liver on a downed Suzuki, finishing him off. Rutten later said that this win was one of the happiest moments of his life.

Just 20 days later, Rutten faced another steep test, fighting futureUFC Hall of FamerKen Shamrock,who was then one of the bestPancrasefighters. This time the Dutch had Masakatsu Funaki himself in his corner, as he had got the Japanese to formally teach himshoot wrestling.Rutten turned in a hard effort, being taken down by Shamrock and held under dominant position for most of the match. The more experienced Shamrock made Rutten spend rope escapes by submitting him with a pair of heel hooks and arear naked choke,and although Rutten still tried on, he was ultimately choked out. After this, Rutten decided to omit strikes from his training and focus only on grappling, and he bounced back from the loss with a submission win overBrazilian jiu-jitsublack beltJason DeLucia,trading submission attempts with him before ending the match with aguillotine choke.

In December 1994, Rutten then participated in one of the greatest events in mixed martial arts history to the point, theKing of Pancrase tournament.The winner of this tournament would be crowned the first champion ofPancrase.Rutten was one of the four #1 seeds in the tournament, and his first fight was against MMA newcomer and future UFC championFrank Shamrock.The fight was a controversial one, as Rutten locked an earlier rear naked choke under the ropes, only to have the referee to break it up without deducting a lost point from Frank. After that point, the two nullified each other until the end of the match, which saw an upset decision win for Shamrock. Frank also left the match with a broken nose by a high kick.

1995

Rutten found a measure of redemption after the upset loss by choking out expert grappler and King of Pancrase tournament finalistManabu Yamadain his next fight, on 26 January 1995. Rutten was taken to the ground, but he clamped anarm triangle chokefromhalf guardand exerted such a pressure that Yamada, refusing to tap out, was choked out and remained unconscious with his eyes wide open after the hold. Thanks to this performance against the tournament finalist, Rutten received a rematch and a title shot against tournament winner and then-current King of Pancrase Ken Shamrock for the King of Pancrase title on 10 March. The match was very anticipated, but it ended early when Shamrock executed akneebarand forced Rutten to submit. According to the Dutch, the loss was due to his training partner Funaki teaching him the wrong way to escape a kneebar, which made Rutten spin in the opposite direction, giving Shamrock a tighter hold.Rutten believes Funaki might have done it in purpose in order for him to lose.

After this failure, Rutten focused on grappling even harder and started training 2 to 3 times a day solely on submissions.Rutten's new training paid off, and he stole a win from Takaku Fuke with an armbar from theguardand a finishing heel hook. He then faced another dangerous striker, American kickbo xing championMaurice Smith,who in turn fell down to the mat to avoid Bas's striking. Rutten grappled with him and showed his technical brilliance, firstly submitting Smith with a heel hook performed with his own chin and later executing afigure-fourtoeholdfor the win. After dispatching next Jason DeLucia by submission as well, Rutten got a rematch withFrank Shamrockon 23 July. Their fight was similar to the first bout, with both men trading positions and holds, and again the referee controversially broke up two kneebars which were performed by Rutten next to the ropes, but this time Rutten would win the split decision.

The win granted him a challenge title match in September 1995 against the King of PancraseMinoru Suzuki,which was their rematch from the fight at the beginning of their careers. The match was long and intense, as Suzuki rode Rutten for most of their exchanges in the bout, and actually managed to force him to spend a rope escape with a tight kneebar. Rutten held his own through his defensive acumen, occasionally countering with guillotine chokes and a surprising rolling kneebar from standing, until the match came to its last minutes. After getting from under amount,Rutten threw a front kick to the body which downed Suzuki and followed with a guillotine choke, making the King of Pancrase tap out.

After putting his title defenses on hold due to an injury, Rutten returned to the ring in a rematch against Maurice Smith. Overwhelmed by Rutten's strikes, Smith opted for taking him down every time possible, but Rutten ended up performing ahalf guardsweepinto arear naked chokefor the tap out. His next time would be against the man he debuted against in Pancrase,Ryushi Yanagisawa,and this time the match lasted 27:35. Despite breaking his hand during the match, Rutten scored three consecutive submissions through the affair before ending it with another rear naked choke.

1996

In March 1996, Rutten facedLion's Denfighter and futureUltimate Fighting ChampionshipwinnerGuy Mezger.Through the fight, Rutten dominated the stand-up with liver shots and palm strikes, forcing Mezger to take him down and meet him on the ground. There Mezger was able to control Rutten, but was unable to score a submission, while the Dutch defended and capitalized on the stand-up segments to inflict damage. At the end, after a leglock exchange, Rutten locked a heel hook variation to submit Mezger.

On 16 May 1996 Rutten defended his title beforeFrank Shamrockin their third match, which was also for Shamrock's interim King of Pancrase title. Controlling the takedowns as usual, Shamrock gainednorth-south positionseveral times, but was unable to submit Rutten, and Rutten in turn knocked him down with an open-handeduppercut.The two fighters struggled, and even fell off the ring in a failed takedown. In midst of the fight, Frank famously taunted Rutten by sticking out his tongue at him during a leglock exchange, which moved Bas to hit him in the face with a close-fisted punch, losing a point by red card as Shamrock expected.At the end, however, Rutten won the fight by TKO due to an eye cut, unifying the King of Pancrase belts.

Right after his match against Shamrock, Rutten had his rubber match against Jason DeLucia. The fight was controversial for DeLucia repeatedly claiming Rutten had hit him with a closed fist, which cost the Dutch fighter a yellow card and later a red card. In response, Rutten hit several shots to DeLucia's liver, rupturing it and knocking him out painfully.

At Pancrase 1996 Anniversary Show, taking place on 7 September, Rutten defended his undisputed title againstMasakatsu Funakiin what is considered to be one of the greatest fights in Pancrase history. The Japanese wrestler came near finishing the match earlier with an ankle lock, but Rutten escaped miraculously and proceeded to fend Funaki off for the rest of the bout, utilizing the same stalling strategy he had used against Suzuki. Funaki made a wide usage of theknee-on-stomachand mount position to initiate leglock attacks, but the Dutch countered every time and eventually pushed Masakatsu away, a moment in which the Japanese threw an illegal kick to Rutten while he was getting up. In response, the Dutch fighter knocked Funaki down with a palm strike, and then completely broke his nose with a second palm strike to a supine Masakatsu. The stunned Japanese tried to trade hits with Rutten, only for Bas to capitalize on this with his famed striking game. Rutten knocked him down twice with palms and knees, and he followed landing a lengthy, unanswered string of strikes until a knee to the face finally downed Funaki for the KO victory. In doing so, he became a three-time King of Pancrase.

Rutten described the war with Funaki in an interview:

Before the fight when he came to me, he made that thumb over the neck, throat slashing motion like I was going to go down. I turned to my manager and said, "Okay, now I'm going to kill this guy, you watch". My game plan was to keep the fight going for 15 minutes... Funaki had never fought above 15 minutes. But then, like 12 minutes into it, while I'm still on my knees he kicks me in the head. I block, but for me that was an illegal thing to do. So right away I start, BANG, BANG, BANG, and he goes down. From that moment on, I totally destroyed him. You got to see the fight; it was a massacre. My palms were black from hitting him so hard. He had the gods on his side or something, because he stood up every time. I hit his face back on the mat and you hear it slam into the mat. His nose is all the way to the side, broke, they have to straighten it out. I go, "Oh my God, this guy can take a shot!" I kneed him so hard in the head. He went down four times. But the last knee I gave to him was like everything I had. I grabbed him by the head and kneed him. It was really like aRockymovie. I'm standing there and I fall backwards, and I'm totally out of breath. I get up and the referee holds my hand up. Then he lets my hand go and I drop again, BOOM! I was exhausted, I gave everything I had; I really wanted to destroy him. I broke his cheekbones and broke his nose, just because he said he was going to kill me. Oh, I was so angry at him. But afterwards, friends again... What a crazy sport this is, huh?

His next fight was an anticipated rematch withManabu Yamada,which lasted only 0:54 before Rutten made him to tap out to a leg-entangled toehold. Following the match, he relinquished his title to be present for the birth of his second daughter.

1997

On 22 March 1997 Rutten returned to Pancrase in a match against Osami Shibuya, a bout in which he was unexpectedly forced to fight for the draw after his ownsternumbroke through the struggle. The Dutchman avenged the accident in a rematch with Shibuya, in which he submitted the Japanese with aspinal lockfromura-gatameposition he nicknamed "Bas Rutten Neck Crank."

Rutten returned to Pancrase, taking 8 more victories, bringing his unbeaten streak up to 19 straight fights.

Rutten left Pancrase as one of the most dominant fighters in the history of the organization. MMA legend Ken Shamrock was the only fighter Rutten did not avenge a loss to. In 2000, when Rutten was PRIDE FC's color commentator, a third fight with Shamrock was entertained. Rutten agreed to come out of retirement to fight Shamrock in PRIDE FC. However, Shamrock stated that he already beat Rutten twice and that a third time wasn't necessary. Later, in 2002, Rutten said that he would not fight Shamrock again even if it was offered to him because of the friendship they developed over the years, and that he could not put his mind and heart into fighting Ken.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC Heavyweight Champion

Rutten was originally told aboutUltimate Fighting Championship(UFC) before its first event in 1993, when would-be UFC competitor Ken Shamrock proposed it to him, but Rutten decided to stay in Pancrase, as he felt the "no rules"format was too dangerous and he did not want to risk his career so early.However, he signed with the UFC in 1998, after his Pancrase career. Rutten entered the UFC with a massive amount of hype; he was undefeated in his last 19 fights and was touted by the organization as the "world's greatest martial artist."

Rutten was originally scheduled to fight heavyweight championRandy Couturein a title match for theUFC Heavyweight Championshipin his first fight, but Couture had a contract dispute and left the UFC to sign with a different promotion. The title was then stripped from Couture and a tournament of sorts was set up to determine the next champion. Thus, the Dutchman's first fight in his quest for the UFC belt was againstFighting Network RINGSexponentTsuyoshi KosakaatUFC 18.During the bout, Rutten was repeatedly taken down and struck withground and pound,but he ended up scoring a dramatic KO with just a minute left in overtime.The fight was a source of controversy because refereeJohn McCarthyseemed to unfairly stand the fight up when Kosaka was mounted on Rutten and actively landing clean effective punches.

On 7 May 1999, atUFC 20,Rutten facedKevin Randlemanfor the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The first four minutes consisted of Rutten taking unanswered punishment from his guard, getting blood on his face, but after the fight was stood up to check Rutten's cut, Rutten landed a hard kick to Randleman's liver, slowing his pace for the rest of the fight. They then exchanged strikes in Bas's guard, with the Dutch fighter opening a cut in Randleman via elbow strikes on top of his head, until the end of the overtime. The fight went to the judges, and they gave the split decision win to Rutten, crowning him as UFC Heavyweight Champion.This victory met a heated controversy from fans and professionals of the sport alike, among them Randleman's corner andMark Coleman,who criticized the judges' decision.Fight judging at that point was not based on the current10-point must system,but on whom the judges felt won the fight overall.

Rutten vacated the title later in the year, in order to drop down tomiddleweight(now known aslight heavyweight) a weight closer to his natural weight, in a bid to try to become the first person to hold a UFC title in two weight classes.However, he would end up never continuing his career, as while training for his next UFC fight in 1999 he suffered multiple serious injuries, including blowing out his knee (a long-running injury), tearing his biceps, and suffering a neck injury. He was forced to retire from MMA competition for the time being, by doctor's orders.

He was proposed a fight againstKazushi Sakurabawhen he was contacted byPride Fighting Championships,but Rutten declined due to an insufficient fight purse, preferring to sign up as a fight commentator. He was replaced byWanderlei Silvain the card.

UFC Hall of Fame

On 22 May 2015 UFC PresidentDana Whiteappeared onInside MMAto announce that Rutten would be inducted into theUFC Hall of Fameduring International Fight Week in July. Rutten is the first European to be inducted, taking his place in the "Pioneers" wing of the UFC's new-look Hall of Fame.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight ChampionTito Ortizhas credited Rutten for inspiration during his early days. Ortiz said; "I looked up to Bas Rutten. Bas was my idol. People were just so scared of fighting him, he was like the man. I thought that was what I need to do now. If I train as hard as he does then one day I'll be as good as him and two years later look where I am, I'm on top of the world. I've got to say thanks to him, (Bas) for helping me out by making me believe in dreams."

Last fight

In May 2006, Rutten announced his return to MMA competition. Cleared by doctors to fight again, Rutten was slated to faceKimo Leopoldoin the now-defunctWorld Fighting Allianceon 22 July 2006, at The Forum in Los Angeles. Two days before the event, Kimo tested positive forStanozolol,ananabolicsteroid.In place of Kimo, Rutten fought Ruben "Warpath" Villareal. Rutten took a first-round victory by way of technical knockout after low kicks left his opponent unable to stand. With that he brought up his professional record to 28 wins 4 losses and 1 draw. After the fight, Rutten tested positive forhydrocodone,morphine,anddiphenhydramine.

Professional wrestling career

Rutten competed inJapanese professional wrestlingfollowing his Pancrase tenure. He made his debut at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2000 event, where he teamed up with Alexander Otsuka to defeat the team ofNaoki SanoandRicco Rodríguez,with Rutten personally submitting Sano with acrossface chickenwing.He also wrestled inBattlarts,defeatingCarl Malenkoby KO via palm strike.

In 2002, Rutten debuted inNew Japan Pro-Wrestlingas a part ofAntonio Inoki's MMA army. Before his first match, he was featured invignetteslearning theshining wizardfrom watchingKeiji Mutohtapes in order to adapt to NJPW professional wrestling.He mostly wrestled in singles matches, beating both rookies and veterans likeManabu Nakanishi,Hiroshi TanahashiandMasayuki Naruse.In July, he challenged for theIWGP Heavyweight ChampionshipagainstYuji Nagata,but he was defeated. After three months, in October, he was featured in a special EuropeanCatch WrestlingRules Match againstOsamu NishimurawithTony St. Clairas a special referee. The match went to a time limit draw after ten rounds, despite Nishimura's illegal blows. The same month, Rutten dropped down to thejunior heavyweight divisionand received another title match, this time againstKoji Kanemotofor theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship,but he was unsuccessful.

Post-fight career

After his retirement from fighting in 1999, Rutten focused on becoming an actor, getting small parts on TV shows such asMartial Law,18 Wheels of Justice,The King of Queens,"Lights Out" and the Canadian seriesFreedom,as well as appearing in low budget movies such asShadow Fury,The Eliminator,and the comedy shortThe Kingdom of Ultimate Powerwhich was featured in the 2005L.A. Film Festival.It also won the first prize at the short film festival in NY for "best comedy".

Rutten was also the color commentator for the English productions ofPride Fighting Championshipsevents, calling nearly every event fromPride 1through the 2005 Grand Prix. Known for his sense of humor and first-hand knowledge of the sport, Rutten quickly became a fan favorite commentator. In April 2006 he announced that he would not continue to announce for Pride, due to the constant flying to Japan, and being away from his family every month.

Rutten in 2011

Rutten has a cameo in the video gameGrand Theft Auto IVon the in-game TV show called "The Men's Room."He also did motion capture for the main character's fighting moves. He said that when he arrived at the motion-capture place in New York he asked the people in charge how violent they wanted to have it and they told him to "give it all he got". After two hours they stopped him and said, "It's OK, you don't have to go any further".

He was also featured inWCW vs. the Worldfor the PlayStation, but was named "Thunder Dome" to avoid copyright laws.

On 23 January 2008, he was announced as the new Vice President, Fighter Operations reporting directly to IFL CEO Jay Larkin. His role was to build relations between the IFL and its fighters as well as work on potential match-ups between fighters. He also hosted the weekly shows "Battleground" and "International Fight League" withKenny Rice.This all ended when IFL went out of business in late 2008.

In 2009, he appeared in the music video forListen to Your Friendsby the rock band New Found Glory, "fighting" lead vocalistJordan Pundik.Bas and Rice hostedInside MMA,a weekly MMA variety show onAXS TV.The pair also did remote English commentary and play-by-play forDreamevents broadcast in North America on HDNet. The pair were eventually replaced byGuy MezgerandMichael Schiavello,who attend the events live in Japan. He is currently appearing in public health service ads, airing onCartoon Network.He also made apublic service announcementagainst trying out MMA at home butCagePotatoridiculed it for its mixed messages.

Rutten was featured in the 2012 American sports comedy movieHere Comes the BoomalongsideKevin JamesandHenry Winkler.Rutten played the role of a former MMA fighter and Dutch immigrant Niko trying to gain US citizenship. In return for his help in gaining citizenship, Niko helps train 42-year-old biology teacher Scott (Kevin James) to become a MMA fighter in the UFC. The film also features former UFC fighterKrzysztof Soszynski,former Muay Thai kickboxerMark DellaGrottealong with cameo roles forBruce Buffer,Chael Sonnen,Jason Miller,Satoshi Ishii,Mark Muñoz,Herb Dean,Wanderlei Silva,andJoe Roganamongst others.

On 23 October 2013, theWorld Series of Fightingannounced Rutten as a member of the broadcast team for WSOF events onNBCSNalong with Todd Harris.

Rutten currentlyworks as a commentator forKarate Combat(KC).

Coaching

Rutten is certified as an instructor of both MTBN Thai Bo xing and mixed martial arts, as well askrav maga.

Rutten coachedMark Kerrduring the filming of theHBOdocumentaryThe Smashing Machine.

In 2006, Rutten was a team coach for theInternational Fight League,an MMA organization that focused on team combat. His team, theAnacondas,defeated theSilverbacks3–2. He is also a former investor in the Legends MMA gym in Hollywood and used to teach there occasionally,and is now a part owner of the MMA gym Bas Rutten's Elite Mixed Martial Arts in Thousand Oaks, California. He teaches a MMA class on Tuesdays.

He has also trained former street fighterKimbo Slicefor his professional MMA bouts, as well as professional wrestlerSamoa Joe.

Fighting style

Rutten's main reason for success in Pancrase was his well-rounded fighting style, excelling both in striking and grappling. His stand-up offensive, learned from the Dutch school ofMuay Thai,KarateandTaekwondowas aggressive yet deceptively technical.According toFrank Shamrock,it often intimidated other fighters. He would say, "His kickbo xing was devastating. It was something everybody feared. The other thing he had was a basic understanding of real fighting... Bas had that street fighter mentality."

One of his favored tactics in the ring was unbalancing his opponents withpush kicksagainst the ring ropes before overwhelming them with palm strikes and body punches, nullifying their ability to counterattack or defend.Rutten never developed an effective takedown defense, but he was apt at landing strikes while being taken down, having knocked out opponents before they could complete the technique.The most famous aspect of his striking, however, was his skill to target the opponent'sliver,using punches, knees and kicks todamage itand incapacitate his adversary.

He stated his striking was influenced by his career as a bouncer, when he would often have to fight multiple opponents in the street. He would strike with his palms and forearms rather than closed fists in order to protect his hands from impact against the opponent's skull, which later helped him in the Pancrase ruleset.

Rutten's groundwork was built through a slow evolution and was unusual for being mostly self-taught.Initially counting only on defense rudiments learned from Chris Dolman, he developed his game by copying Pancrase trainings and became a dangerous submission fighter. His grappling style was patterned after Pancrase's nativeshoot wrestling(better known as "Catch wrestling"in the west), and he focused onchokeholds,leglocks,and a solid submission defense, which helped him to avoid being forced to submit by even high-level offensive grapplers likeMasakatsu FunakiandMinoru Suzuki.

Personal life

Rutten currently lives inAustin, Texas,with his wife Karin and two daughters – Sabine and Bianca. Rutten also has a daughter from his first wife; her name is Rachele.He became a citizen of the United Statestwenty years ago.At the end of 2015, he became a grandfather for the first time: a grandson from Rachele, who currently lives in Belgium.

Rutten is friends with fellow Dutchman and former UFC competitorGerard Gordeau.

Rutten is known by the moniker "El Guapo",which means" The Handsome One "inSpanish.

He became known for the victory celebration known as "Rutten Jump", in which he would do a jumping split after winning a fight.Rutten talked about the origins of the Rutten Jump on his website: "When I won my first fight in Pancrase, I was so hyped that I jumped up in the splits to each side of the ring. Why? I don't know. But, it became my trademark and I had to do it after every fight that I won."

In 2010, Rutten partnered with clothing brand, Tokyo Five,to produce and star in a cooking show titledGrandma's Kitchen with Bas Rutten.The show's pilot was scheduled to air 26 February 2010; however, due to a physical altercation between Rutten and co-hosts, production has been delayed indefinitely.

In 2018, he was inducted into theInternational Sports Hall of Fame.

Religion

Rutten is a practicingCatholic,talking about his faith in God onYouTube.Raised in a Catholic family, Rutten stopped practicing the faith at around 12 years old when his parents stopped attending church, but he returned to the faith in 2013.He has credited his friendKevin James,and others, with helping him in his journey back to Catholicism.Rutten has spoken out againstanti-Catholicdiscrimination inHollywood.

Tattoos

Rutten has several tattoos, each of which is intended to help him spiritually and emotionally.

Street fights

Bas Rutten is known for his brawls and bar fights around the world. In particular, he once threwPaul Varelansthrough a glass window in Russia via kimura lock when Varelans tried to bite his back, and immediately after he disarmed and assaulted an armed bouncer.He also participated in a brawl that took place at a bar in Sweden in which he fought several bouncers at the same time.This fight is particularly notorious as it landed Rutten in a Swedish jail.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Hall of Fame(Pioneer wing, Class of 2015)
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship(One time)
    • First Dutch champion in UFC history
  • UFC Encyclopedia Awards
    • Fight of the Night(One time)vs.Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
  • Undefeated in the UFC (2–0)
• Pancrase
  • King of Pancrase Openweight Championship(One time)
    • Two successful title defenses
  • Unified the King of Pancrase Openweight Championship
• Sherdog
  • Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2014 inductee)
• Fight Matrix
  • 1996 Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown

33 matches	28 wins	4 losses
By knockout	11	0
By submission	14	3
By decision	3	1
Draws	1

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Win	28–4–1	Ruben Villareal	TKO (leg kicks)	WFA: King of the Streets	22 July 2006	1	3:24	Los Angeles, California,United States
Win	27–4–1	Kevin Randleman	Decision (split)	UFC 20	7 May 1999	1	21:00	Birmingham, Alabama,United States	Won the vacantUFC Heavyweight Championship.Later vacated title due to injury.
Win	26–4–1	Tsuyoshi Kohsaka	TKO (punches)	UFC 18	8 January 1999	1	14:15	Kenner, Louisiana,United States
Win	25–4–1	Kengo Watanabe	TKO (palm strikes)	Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show	14 September 1998	1	2:58	Tokyo,Japan
Win	24–4–1	Keiichiro Yamamiya	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Pancrase: Alive 11	20 December 1997	1	4:58	Yokohama, Kanagawa,Japan
Win	23–4–1	Osami Shibuya	Submission (body crunch)	Pancrase: 1997 Anniversary Show	6 September 1997	1	3:15	Urayasu, Chiba,Japan
Win	22–4–1	Takaku Fuke	Submission (armbar)	Pancrase: Alive 7	30 June 1997	1	4:28	Hakata, Fukuoka,Japan
Win	21–4–1	Kiuma Kunioku	Decision (points)	Pancrase: Alive 4	27 April 1997	1	15:00	Urayasu, Chiba,Japan
Draw	20–4–1	Osami Shibuya	Draw (majority)	Pancrase: Alive 3	22 March 1997	1	15:00	Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
Win	20–4	Manabu Yamada	Submission (ankle lock)	Pancrase: Truth 7	8 October 1996	1	0:54	Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
Win	19–4	Masakatsu Funaki	KO (knee)	Pancrase: 1996 Anniversary Show	7 September 1996	1	17:05	Urayasu, Chiba,Japan	Defended thePancrase Openweight Championship.
Win	18–4	Jason DeLucia	KO (Punchto the body)	Pancrase: Truth 6	25 June 1996	1	8:48	Fukuoka, Fukuoka,Japan
Win	17–4	Frank Shamrock	TKO (doctor stoppage)	Pancrase: Truth 5	16 May 1996	1	11:11	Tokyo,Japan	Defended and unified thePancrase Openweight Championship.
Win	16–4	Katsuomi Inagaki	TKO (points)	Pancrase: Truth 4	8 April 1996	1	14:07	Tokyo,Japan
Win	15–4	Guy Mezger	Submission (ankle lock)	Pancrase: Truth 2	2 March 1996	1	19:36	Kobe, Hyogo,Japan
Win	14–4	Ryushi Yanagisawa	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 7	14 December 1995	1	27:35	Sapporo, Hokkaido,Japan
Win	13–4	Maurice Smith	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 6	4 November 1995	1	4:34	Yokohama, Kanagawa,Japan
Win	12–4	Minoru Suzuki	Submission (guillotine choke)	Pancrase: 1995 Anniversary Show	1 September 1995	1	15:35	Tokyo,Japan	Won thePancrase Openweight Championship.
Win	11–4	Frank Shamrock	Decision (split)	Pancrase: 1995 Neo-Blood Tournament Second Round	23 July 1995	1	15:00	Tokyo,Japan
Win	10–4	Jason DeLucia	Submission (heel hook)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 5	13 June 1995	1	1:32	Sapporo, Hokkaido,Japan
Win	9–4	Maurice Smith	Submission (kneebar)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 4	13 May 1995	1	2:10	Urayasu, Chiba,Japan
Win	8–4	Takaku Fuke	Submission (heel hook)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 3	8 April 1995	1	1:52	Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
Loss	7–4	Ken Shamrock	Submission (kneebar)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 2	10 March 1995	1	1:01	Yokohama, Kanagawa,Japan	For thePancrase Openweight Championship.
Win	7–3	Manabu Yamada	Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke)	Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 1	26 January 1995	1	1:05	Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
Loss	6–3	Frank Shamrock	Decision (majority)	King of Pancrase tournament opening round	16 December 1994	1	10:00	Tokyo,Japan
Win	6–2	Jason DeLucia	Submission (guillotine choke)	Pancrase: Road to the Championship 5	15 October 1994	1	1:43	Tokyo,Japan
Loss	5–2	Ken Shamrock	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Pancrase: Road to the Championship 3	26 July 1994	1	16:42	Tokyo,Japan
Win	5–1	Minoru Suzuki	KO (knee to the body)	Pancrase: Road to the Championship 2	6 July 1994	1	3:43	Amagasaki, Hyogo,Japan
Win	4–1	Kazuo Takahashi	TKO (knee injury)	Pancrase: Road to the Championship 1	31 May 1994	1	1:37	Tokyo,Japan
Win	3–1	Vernon White	Submission (guillotine choke)	Pancrase: Pancrash! 3	21 April 1994	1	1:16	Osaka, Osaka,Japan
Loss	2–1	Masakatsu Funaki	Submission (toe hold)	Pancrase: Pancrash! 1	19 January 1994	1	2:58	Yokohama, Kanagawa,Japan
Win	2–0	Takaku Fuke	KO (knee to the body)	Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 2	14 October 1993	1	2:03	Nagoya, Aichi,Japan
Win	1–0	Ryushi Yanagisawa	KO (palm strike)	Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 1	21 September 1993	1	0:43	Urayasu, Chiba,Japan

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Shadow of the Dragon	Kismet	Film
1997	WCW vs. the World	Thunder Dome	Video Game
1999	Martial Law	Roman Van Reit	TV Episode: "Nitro Man"
2000	Freedom	The Bad Guy	TV Episode: "Lonewolf"
2000	The King of Queens	Emil	TV Episode: "Party Favors"
2001	Shadow Fury	Adult Kismet	Film
2002	The Smashing Machine	Himself	Documentary
2002	Modern Warriors
2002	NJPW Samurai TV		TV series
2004	The Eliminator	Dakota Varley	Film
2005	The Vault	General Matos	Film
2005	The King of Queens	Niles	TV Episode: "Deconstructing Carrie"
2005	The Kingdom of Ultimate Power	Vlad Rifka	Short
2006	IFL:International Fight League	Announcer	TV series
2006	Backlash	Grazer	Film
2007	Fight Science	Himself	TVDocumentary
2007	The Modern Warrior
2008	Grand Theft Auto IV	Himself (voice and television presenter)/Niko Bellic(motion-capture fighting double)	Video Game
2008	Fight Science	Himself	TV Episode: "Fighting Back"
2009	Paul Blart: Mall Cop	Drill Instructor	Film
2009	Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony	Himself (voice)	Video Game
2009	Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned
2010	EA MMA
2010	Sinners & Saints	Dekker	Film
2011	Lights Out	Dokaj	TV episode: "Bolo Punch"
2011	Zookeeper	Sebastian the Wolf (voice)	Film
2012	Here Comes the Boom	Niko
2012	UFC Undisputed 3	Himself (voice)	Video Game
2012	Punk Payback	Himself	TV Series
2012	Myrskyn Ratsastajat		TVDocumentary
2014	Mercy Rule	Coach	Film
2015	Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2	Henk
2015	Liv and Maddie	Uncle Martucci	TV series (Season 3, Episode 8 "Ask Her More-A-Rooney" )
2016	EA Sports UFC 2	Himself (playable character)	Video Game
2016	The River Thief	Clyde	Film
2017–2018	Kevin Can Wait	Rutger/Rootger Van De Kamp	Recurring role
2025	The Smashing Machine	Himself	Film

Works

• Bas Rutten's Big Book of Combat, Volumes One and Two(2002)
• Bas Rutten's Big DVDs of Combat
• Bas Rutten's Lethal Street Fighting(2003)
• Bas Rutten's MMA Workout(2001)
• Bas Rutten's Superior Free Fight Techniques
• Bas Rutten's "Extreme Pancrase" No-Holds Barred Fighting System
• Training with Bas Rutten "Never Back DownSpecial Features "2008
• TERA Online "MMO-FO Spokesman" 2012

External links

• Official website
• Professional MMA record for Bas RuttenfromSherdog
• Bas RuttenatUFC
• Bas RuttenatIMDb