Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten
Rutten in 2009
BornSebastiaan Rutten
(1965-02-24) 24 February 1965
Tilburg, Netherlands
Other namesEl Guapo ("The Handsome One")
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division
Fighting out ofLos Angeles, California, US
Trainer
Mekki Benazzouz
Rank5th dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate
2nd dan black belt in Taekwondo
2nd dan black belt in Shintai Karate
Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Certified instructor in Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling
Years active1993–1999, 2006
Kickboxing record
Total16
Wins14
By knockout14
Losses2
Mixed martial arts record
Total33
Wins28
By knockout11
By submission14
By decision3
Losses4
By submission3
By decision1
Draws1
Other information
Spouse
Karin Rutten
(m. 2003)
Children3
Websitebasrutten.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: 21 March 2011 (2011-03-21)

Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɑs ˈrʏtə(n)]; born 24 February 1965) is a Dutch-American actor, former mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional 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 against Frank Lobman for the European Muay Thai title in 1991, with Rutten losing by knockout in the first round. In MMA, he was a UFC Heavyweight Champion and a three-time King of Pancrase world champion. After his submission loss to Ken Shamrock in 1995, he finished his MMA career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw).

As a professional fighter, one of his favorite tactics was the liver shot (both punch and kick), and he popularized its use in MMA. He competed in Japanese professional wrestling following his Pancrase tenure. Since his retirement, he has worked as a color commentator in several martial arts organizations, including Pride and Karate Combat (KC), and has appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and video games. From 2007 to 2016, he was the co-host of Inside MMA on AXS TV. Rutten also coaches MMA and has authored several instructional materials. In 2008, Rutten was ranked by Inside MMA as the fourth-greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time. In 2015, he was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame. Rutten became a naturalized American citizen in the late 1990s.