MMA Convert: - "...Six years later, Rutten, now a 20-year old physical specimen, finally moved out of Valkenswaard. His first order of business: get back in the gym and fulfill his self-imposed destiny. He worked quickly, earning black belts in both Tae Kwon Do and Karate, and then decided to try Thai boxing, which had already begun to take Holland by storm. “My first day in the gym, I got my ass kicked,” says Rutten. “I had never been dropped before, but that day I went hard, and it came from a liver punch.” Rutten went home and shadow-boxed in front of his mirror for four straight hours. “My wife at the time, she said I was crazy, but I came back the next day and just cleaned the place out. I beat the shit out of everybody. Six weeks later, the guys who ran the place got me my first fight.” Rutten won that bout 43 seconds into the first round, courtesy of a spinning back kick to the opponent’s liver. He went on to win his first 13 fights by knockout, all but one coming in the first round..." (The Origin Of Bas Rutten’s Love Of The Liver Shot…?)
Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (born February 24, 1965) is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He was the UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw). Rutten has beaten many MMA champions over the course of his career, including wins over UFC champions Frank Shamrock, Kevin Randleman, Guy Mezger and Maurice Smith, and wins over King of Pancrase world champions Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. He is currently the co-host of Inside MMA on HDNet. As a fighter, one of his favorite tactics was the liver shot (both punch and kick), and he popularized its use in MMA. Rutten is known for his charisma and has capitalized on his celebrity since retiring from fighting in 1999. He has worked as a color commentator in several MMA organizations, including Pride, and has appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and video games. He also coaches MMA and has authored several instructional materials (Wikipedia).
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