Bas Rutten: Mixed Martial Arts Legend

There are few MMA fighters of the 1990's who are as respected and as feared as Bas 'El Guapo' Rutten. When you amass a 28-4-1 record, only having been beaten by other legends of the sort, you've truly made a name for yourself in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Bas has always been a living, breathing personification of a warrior. As a fighter, a cornerman, a trainer, a coach, and an ambassador of the sport, it is difficult to think of another person in the world who has done so much for MMA.

Bas' early life was the typical story of a Dutch 95 pound weakling turning into a tough, confident young man. He had asthma and a skin condition, making him a target for local bullies. But through his martial arts training, he was able to become a professional bouncer and Thai boxer in his 20's.

The vast majority of Ruttan's fights were in the Pancrase organization. He dominated the standup game in his early career, thanks to intensive training in boxing, Thai boxing, and karate. However the Shamrock brothers (half brothers, actually) and Funaki were all able to use their ground games to neutralize El Guapo's superior striking, eventually winning decisions or submitting him.

It was 1995 when Bas felt that in order to be a champion, he too was going to have to master the ground game. He took up catch-wrestling and drilled strictly in submissions 2 to 3 times a day, every day. In possibly the most impressive display of the transformation of a modern MMA fighter, Bas won 7 of his next 8 matches by submission. Now a frighteningly well rounded fighter, Ruttan took the King of Pancrase title from Minoru Suzuki with a Guillotine Choke, over 15 minutes into the championship match. His only non-sub win in 1995 was a revenge match against Frank Shamrock, which he took in a split decision.

1996 was just a continued show of utter domination by El Guapo. After a brief rest due to injury, Bas submitted the legendary Guy Mezger. Then the fighter beat the then-interim champion of Pancrase Frank Shamrock once again, to take the unified and undisputed King of Pancrase title. Finally, in one of the proudest moments of his life, Bas avenged his loss to Masakatsu Funaki in a 17 minute brawl. It was widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in Pancrase history.

After racking up a staggering 19 match undefeated streak, with only 1 draw, Ruttan was ready to take on the best that the UFC had to offer. Tsuyoshi Kosaka was his testing fight at UFC 18. El Guapo dispatched him via TKO after 14 minutes. Then, in over of the most painful looking matches in early UFC history, Bad took a split decision victory over MMA legend Kevin Randleman. His 21 minute brawl earned Bas the UFC Heavyweight Championship belt.

Sadly, Ruttan would be forced to retire from active MMA after winning the UFC belt. Nagging injuries finally caught up with him. But he continued to be active in the combat sports world, cornering for many young fighters including Genki Sudo. He even trained internet sensation Kimbo Slice for his first professional MMA bout. He returned for a one-time MMA match in 2006, against the giant Ruben "Warpath" Villareal. Bas won by TKO via leg kicks, chopping the big fighter down.

These days Bas splits his time between running his gym, training young prospects, and announcing on HDNet's Inside MMA. He has nothing left to prove, and yet continues to amaze his fans with every new project.

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Bas Rutten, "About Bas Ruttan", BasRutten.com
Sherdog Staff, "Bas Ruttan", Sherdog
Hody Jae Huh, "Up close and personal with Bas Rutten", Iron Life
HDNet Staff, "About Bas Ruttan", Inside MMA