Northwest FightScene - Interview with Bas Rutten

Interview with Bas Rutten

Interview by Michael Angelo, Pictures by Mike Renouard

Without a doubt, Bas Rutten is one of The Greats of MMA. His accomplishments

span the globe, as do his fans. We were fortunate enough to sit down with

Coach Bas Rutten for a quick interview before his team, the LA Anacondas,

met the Tokyo Sabres in Portland's Memorial Coliseum.

Even better, we partied with Bas & the gang the following night. Yes, the folklore is true, Bas is legendary for more than his fighting. He's really funny to hang with, a real life-of-the-party type of guy. His team & the rest of The IFL obviously hold Bas in the highest regard, and rightfully so. So without further adieu... let's see what's up with Bas!

NWFS: Bas, let's start off with the team.

How ready is your team for tomorrow's competition?

Bas Rutten: We're very, very ready. Everybody trained so hard. They came over

to California, to Los Angeles, two and a half weeks ago, and we went hard.

It's unbelievable.

[Editor's Note: The Anacondas indeed were ready as they swept the Sabres 5-0]

NWFS: What facilities do you train at?

Rutten: At my facility at Thousand Oaks and then at the other facility that's mine &

Randy Couture's - we just opened one in Hollywood. So we trained in the morning

at mine in my town, and then Los Angeles in the afternoon.

[Editor's Note: Bas and Randy opened Legends August 21st, 2006.

Notable teachers include: Jeremy Williams (top pro boxer and trainer on ESPN's

The Contender), Eddie Bravo (Brazilian Black Belt Jiu-jitsu instructor and

the only American to ever submit a Gracie), Karo Parisyan and Jason "Mayhem" Miller

(top UFC/WFA pro fighters and mixed martial arts instructors)]

NWFS: You've worked with every major [fight] organization on the planet.

Here you are with The IFL. That's got to say something.

Rutten: Yes, it says a lot. These guys are just really good guys. I mean I really like it.

It's like a big family. Taking care of everybody... Everything they say, they do.

It's just very trustworthy people.

NWFS: That's great! Knowing the game as well as you do, give me your honest prediction of the future of Mixed Martial Arts as a team sport.

Rutten: Well, as a team sport, everybody wants to try now to do the same thing,

but it's going to be difficult. But I think The IFL is going to really rule. I truly believe

that. Next year we've 14 shows planned out. The concept is great. I truly believe I like

the team concept even better than one-on-one. The first time we didn't all train

together-everybody. The second time we trained all together, and now I see the

pluses from training together. Again we're like a family, everybody's training,

afterwards we eat together, we're bullshitting around, the training goes so hard.

Like we run a hill, and if we run it 5 times up, there's always one of the six guys

wants to run it more, but if he runs, then everyone's got to go, because it's a team.

Sometimes everybody goes, "Oh no, no, no..." and then they gotta go up again.

And we do that with extra rounds of Thai pads, with extra rounds of sparring, every

time someone asks, "Can we do another round?" Then... BAM - and we go again.

So I truly believe there's not as much pressure on one individual person as it is

when you fly by yourself solo. Now it divided out between the whole team.

It takes a little bit of the edge off, so I think in all, it's way better.

NWFS: Who, on your team, is standing out to you as the

next potential Mixed Martial Arts superstar?

Rutten: Maaaann (laughs) That's a trick question, because I think all of five them.

I think I have a really strong team right now.

Like Christopher Horodecki: He's 18 years-old. He's a killer. People think, "Ahh, he's a little boy". Wait until you see him fight. It's a different story. He just knocked a guy out. He kicked him in the head, while he fell down he kicked him in another time in the head again - with the same leg. I mean, that's him, you know? Now he's 7-0 in Mixed Martial Arts with seven knock-outs. [Editor's Note: currently 8-0 after the win from this event] And his Thai Boxing was already like 14 wins with twelve knock-outs. The guy's really good.

Then Jay Hieron: He a phenomenal wrestler, I mean like one of the top in the country.

His hands have developed so bad ass, it's unbelievable. His submission are good.

Mike Pyle: Yeah... he's the complete package.

He's a very strong puncher and on the ground he's phenomenal. Everything.

Alex Schoenauer: Same thing. He's going to punch some holes in people.

He's hitting so hard right now. He developing his striking,

and he's already very good on the ground.

Krzysztof Soszynski: That's a guy who really wants it. He came out to California from Canada to train, and he pretty much lives with us. He's spent maybe one week in Canada in the two months-that's it. He's really dedicated.

So I see a great future for all of us.

NWFS: That's great! How much more fighting do you see yourself doing in the future?

Rutten: I have to fix my knee first, now. Right now it hurts so bad I can't even move it side-to-side... it takes the fun out of the training. So that's why I don't train, and I don't have any desire to train, because of the pain. We've got to fix it. I have a partially torn ACL and Meniscus. I got arthritis in my knees. We gotta scoop the stuff up. I think I'm going to lube it up. They've got some stuff now, apparently it's really good. Matt Lindland told me that he did it actually, because I was thinking about it. They give you like three shots in three weeks or something and you have a new kind of lube in your knee and you start making cartilage yourself again. And he says it's phenomenal. Everybody's raving. The only thing is, it only works for 50% of the people. So I hope that I'm one of the 50%.

NWFS: Me too Bas! So, over the course of your career,

what was you toughest battle as a fighter?
Rutten: The Randleman fight and the Funaki fight were heavy. The Funaki fight,

that's the one I won by knee, he had such a hard head. I knocked him down

five times and he kept coming up, it was crazy!

Until I dropped him with a knee-in-the-head. [laughter]

(Bas Rutten beat Masakatsu Funaki at the Pancrase: 1996 Anniversary Show at 17:07 of Rd1)

And then, of course against Randleman, that was really tough. But it wasn't tough

because of the fighting. I broke my nose, and I lost my contact... I'm pretty much blind

[at the time]; So one eye was filled with blood, the other one, I lost my contact and

I was laying on my back swallowing my blood the whole time. And I'm telling you man, that blood... in the corner you see me throwing up blood and spitting everything out...

I got nauseated from the blood. Swallowing the blood, and blood, and blood, and blood... That was the hardest one, that fight.

(Bas Rutten beat Randleman by Split Decision at UFC20 (5/99) to win UFC Heavyweight Title)

NWFS: I remember really analyzing you in that event, because you were so innovative.

You were finding a way on your back in the guard, to throw Muay Thai knees.

You were opening it up with your elbow, making space. No one had ever done that

before, and you know what? I haven't seen anybody do that since.

Rutten: Yeah, it's crazy! I came up with that thing like 5 days to the fight-if I would

have had that two weeks before the fight it would have been waaay better. And

actually, if you look at the fight at 30 minutes and 30 seconds,

I believe I knock him out with a knee to his head.
You see him dropping on my chest, but I don't realize it.

Then you see him coming back again. That was a crazy fight.

He's a good guy, Kevin is. He's a good buddy of mine.

NWFS: I enjoyed your joking [with Randleman] on Pride. Okay Last question... Tell me your funniest experience with your new team, The Anacondas.

Rutten: Everybody, they're crazy.

I think I have the most demented team in the whole league.

But everybody's funny. Not a silent moment with us.
Everybody's cracking jokes. It's non-stop. They're "Push here" [pushes his shoulder]

and making fart noises [provides sound effects],

and then Mike [Pyle] jumps up with his fucking porno expression - whatever he's doing.

He comes up with the craziest shit.
Everyone's got their own little things. We're just having a great time the whole time.

NWFS: That's great! Well Bas, thanks so much brother. Best of luck with The IFL.

Rutten: Thank you man, no problem, thank you very much.

Bas' team The Los Angeles Anacondas swept the Tokyo Sabres the following night.

Watching Bas coach is very interesting. He doesn't only instruct the fighter from

the corner, but he teaches his whole team - to be fighters, and to be coaches.

Throughout the event, one of his fighters would accompany Bas, cornering and

consulting Bas as a coach/assistant coach would do. So when you see Bas cornering

on Fox Sports Net, he isn't just coaching his fighter in the ring.

He's coaching coaches of the future, right before your eyes.

You can learn more about The IFL at: www.ifl.tv

On Thursday, November 2nd, the Northwest will see the IFL again as they present

the World Team Championship Semi-finals in Portland's Memorial Coliseum.

The Los Angeles Anacondas face the Portland Wolfpack, while Carlos Newton's Toronto Dragons take on Pat Miletich's Quad City Silverbacks

Allan Goes faces Daniel Gracie in an IFL Superfight, the same night Mark Kerr is scheduled for his comeback bout against Mike Whitehead.

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