MMA pages

Bas Rutten (Short for Sebastiaan Rutten) is an MMA legend and although having retired from fighting, the Dutch fighter is
still active as a colour commentator for a few Mixed Martial Arts organisations and a co-host on ‘InsideMMA‘. He has black belts in Karate and Tae kwon Do and had an outstanding kickboxing career before starting MMA.  His Muay Thai record was 12-2-0 with most of his wins coming via knock out in the first round. After starting MMA, he became the most successful champion ever of Japanese MMA organisation ‘ King of Pancrase’ and later went on to become an undefeated UFC heavyweight champion.

Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten’s ‘Liver shot’.

One of the techniques Bas Rutten used incredibly successfully through out his career and for which his name has become synonymous was his infamous ‘liver shot’. Whether by punch or kick, he is a master of powerful body shots to damage the liver and really helped popularise these attacks.

Bas Rutten workout videos

Always eager to share his knowledge and realising the number of people seeking to emulate Bas Rutten training. ‘El Guapo‘ has created some popular MMA training videos. The most popular being Bas Rutten MMA System Workout and Bas Ruttens lethal street fighting defence.

Bas Rutten O2 Trainer

Having experienced first hand the effects that increased oxygen intake can have on your cardiovascular training by becoming a fighter despite having had asthma from childhood. Bas Rutten has created the ‘ Bas Rutten o2 Trainer’ . El Guapo based his O₂ Trainer on a fairly straight forward and highly effective principle. By being in control of how much air your lungs take in while doing your MMA training, you start breathing correctly right away, which is by using your diaphram. By decreasing the size of the hole that provides air intake on the device, you limit your oxygen supply while training to emulate a high altitude environment and focus on training both your lungs and diaphragm.

Bas Rutten in Pancrase

Bas Rutten was without a doubt one of the most dominant fighters to fight in in Japan’s ‘Pancrase’ promotion and won the title  ‘King of Pancrase’ multiple times, at one point, he went on a 19 fight win streak.

Bas Rutten in the UFC

At UFC 20, Rutten fought Kevin Randleman for the UFC heavyweight title and after taking some big punishment from Randleman through his guard, he managed to land a great liver kick after the fight was stood up to swing the fight into his favour. Rutten then wound up in Randleman’s guard and returned the favour with some brutal ground and pound of his own. Eventually taking the judges decision and becoming UFC heavyweight champion.

Where is Bas Rutten now?

Bas Rutten and Kimbo Slice

Having had successful Careers as both a colour commentator in current MMA promotions and also as a very popular english commentator for Pride FC has allowed him to really demonstrate his great charisma. He now co-hosts ‘Inside MMA’ and has also starred in a movie and cameo’d in a video game. He has also coached big names Like Mark Kerr and Kimbo Slice . He also coaches at his co-owned MMA gym, ‘Legends MMA’ in california.

Anderson Silva – A quick look at the history of one of MMA’s pound for

Anderson 'The Spider' Silva

pound kings.

Anderson Silva is the greatest champion in UFC history and in my opinion the the greatest Mixed Martial Arts fighter of all time. The way he makes legends of MMA look like amateurs in the cage beggars belief and it’s hard to see at the point of writing who could possibly have a chance of beating him.

The beginning.

Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva was born in Brazil. At the age of four, he moved to Curitiba to be raised by his uncle and Aunt as part of their large family. It was there that he saw the importance of having a strong work ethic by watching his uncle work as a police officer. The family did not have excess money for young Anderson to to train in martial arts despite the fact that he was keen to train from very early on. He was a great fan of Jackie Chan and Bruce lee movies.

Some of his friends began to attend a local Taekwondo school under instructor, Master Kangi. Although he could not afford to join them, Anderson began hanging around to ask questions of Master kangi after class and eventually due to the his constant enquiring, the master allowed him to join his class. It was the seed being sown of the fighter that would later arguably become the greatest Mixed Martial Arts fighter ever born. Anderson applied himself rigidly and enjoyed the discipline the classes offered and learned how to adapt the techniques to his own unique style.

Anderson Silva had a constant thirst for knowledge that would eventually see him leave the Taekwondo school to go on to learn Capoeira, a brazilian dance like fighting style ( Think Eddie’s style in Tekken) and also Hapkido. He was adding techniques to his arsenal that would serve him well later on. Always hungry for more knowledge, when his friends started training in Muai Thai, he would ask them questions in the afternoons. Again, due to his tenacity he was invited to join the Muay thai school although he did not have money to train. It was there, with Master Edmar and later his successor Rodrigo Videl that Anderson honed his skills in the vicious elbow and knee techniques he is so well known for. It was at this point that he began to compete in Martial arts contests. He enjoyed the beauty of the martial arts and was not just concerned with winning but with how he won and began experimenting with many techniques considered risky by other less skilled fighters.

He began to train at home in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with friends and learning the sport despite not being able to afford classes or even a gi. He did eventually save up enough for a gi and some classes. He trained with various instructors and eventually by the time he got his purple belt he was introduced to the sport of Vale Tudo. He wanted to test himself in the Vale Tudo environment, where anything other than biting and hair pulling was allowed. He was a prolific competitor and had many victories. As the sport of MMA began to take off around the world, he moved on to MMA competitions like ‘cage rage’ in the UK where he became a dominant force and the cage rage champion. He also fought in one of Japan’s biggest promotions, ‘Shooto” where he became champion as well. A big fan of Mohammed Ali, he has a way of clowning his opponents in the cage before knocking them out. Always continuing to train, he is constantly learning new skills.

When he joined the UFC, he started the most impressive run in UFC history, destroying his competition until he became the middle weight champ and has remained there until the point of this article being written. Until now, he has destroyed all comers in the UFC and along with being the most dominant champion the UFC has had, he is arguably the best pound for pound fighter on the planet. He has even written a book on MMA striking to help others learn to fight the way he does.