Bas Rutten Biography

Fast Facts

• Made his UFC debut in January 1999 at UFC 18 and would go on to win the Heavyweight Championship at UFC 20 that same year
• Began his fighting career as a muay thai kickboxer in the Netherlands
• Best known as a former MMA fighter and UFC Heavyweight Champion and as the co-host of "Inside MMA․"
• Is the owner of Elite Mixed Martial Arts, an MMA gym in Thousand Oaks, California, where he also works as an instructor
• Appeared in the music video for New Found Glory's "Listen to Your Friends" in 2009
• Appeared on the National Geographic series "Fight Science" to demonstrate the force of an uppercut in 2007
• Had a cameo in the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" and also did motion capture work for the main character's fighting moves