Dutch · Tilburg, Netherlands · Born 24 February 1965Bas Rutten won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 1999 and retired from MMA undefeated in his final 22 fights.
Born in Tilburg, Netherlands, on 24 February 1965, Bas Rutten began in Thai boxing before transitioning to mixed martial arts in Japan's Pancrase promotion in the early 1990s. He became a three-time King of Pancrase champion, developing a reputation for his devastating liver shot, a body strike he popularized and which became one of the sport's most respected finishing techniques. Rutten made his UFC debut in 1999 with a first-round TKO of Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, earning a title shot months later. At UFC 20, he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in a closely fought overtime decision over Kevin Randleman, becoming just the fourth man to hold the title. He vacated the belt later that year while attempting to drop to middleweight, before career-ending injuries — including a torn bicep and blown-out knee — forced his retirement. Rutten finished his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw), with FightMetric recording the highest significant strike accuracy (70.6%) it had ever measured. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015, the first European fighter to receive the honor. Since retiring, Rutten has built a prominent media career, working as a color commentator for Pride and other promotions, hosting Inside MMA for nearly a decade, and appearing in films including Here Comes the Boom alongside Kevin James.
UFC Heavyweight Champion; three-time King of Pancrase; retired undefeated
How They Played
Elite kickboxer with the highest recorded significant strike accuracy in the sport's history
Lasting Impact
One of the most technically respected strikers of MMA's early era and a pioneer of the liver shot
Career Honours
- King of Pancrase Openweight Champion, multiple reigns
- UFC Heavyweight Champion 1999
- UFC Hall of Fame, Pioneer wing, 2015
Dutch Athletes