Bas Rutten is a very charasmatic individual, its hard not to like Bas Rutten! Hell, I would buy Bas Rutten a beer and shoot the shit with Bas all night if given the oppurtunity! But with that being said, I have been watching MMA since literally the very beginning. I remember seeing the very early UFC's advertized on cable, but at the time my parents were very poor and we couldnt afford to order them! But that didnt stop me, because I found out from an early age that even though I couldnt see Spice on Tv, I could listen to it
And the same principle held true with the UFC's, the actual events were blacked out but you could listen to the commentary and every now and then you could see a nipple, or a booty...err excuse me....fights! Royce submittin moFos
It all progressed from those early days of scouring blockbuster and local movie joints for UFCs to finding sherdog years later, a place that can feed my obsession with MMA.
So Ive been a fan of MMA for a very long time, and I have tremendous respect for the sport. Alot of people think Bas Rutten is a legend in MMA, I do not necassarily agree with those assertions. And this is why.
Bas has had 3 MMA fights under what I would consider modern MMA rules. He did win the UFC HW title, thats a fact. Worthy of respect, the same as Steve Jennums UFC Title win. Respectable for sure. But Steve Jennum legitimately won his belt that night he was called to come fight from the parking lot where he sat in his car, an alternate unsure if he would ever get a chance to show his skills to the masses. Bas Rutten won a highly contraversial decision against Kevin Randleman. Yes Bas Rutten won, but to put it into perspective........alot of people thought Kevin Randleman won that fight.
Now Bas's Pancrase career is a completely different story. The Pancrase rules are similar to MMA, but you can not deny the fact they are not true MMA rules. And they are definitely NOT Vale Tudo rules. Bas did quite well in Pancrase, and deserves respect for those accomplishments. But in my opinion Pancrase is not true MMA, because the rules are quite different for Bas Ruttens Pancrase era then modern MMA rules or similar rules of the UFC around that time for that matter.
According to Wiki, which is NOT the best source of information but non the less the rules of Pancrase during that time:
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Old rules
Aside from the traditional grappling rules (e.g., no biting, no eye-gouging) the rules were formerly as follows:
No elbows to the head (neither while standing nor on the ground).
No closed-fist strikes to the head (neither while standing nor on the ground).
No knees to the head on the ground.
No kicks/stomps to the head on the ground.
If a participant gets too close to the ropes, he is stood back up on the feet. (as opposed to PRIDE's recentering in the middle of the ring)
Non-title matches consist of one 15 minute round; Title matches consisit of one 30 minute round.
If a participant is caught in a submission and taps out, (whether unable to reach the ropes or not) it is a loss.
Five "escapes" are given to each fighter at the start of every match. An escape can be used when caught in a submission near the ropes, in which case the participant can grab them, be stood back on the feet and have one point deducted. Once a participant has used all of his escapes, it is a loss.
For knockouts, a ten-count similar to boxing and kickboxing is used. If the participant is unable to answer the ten-count, it is declared a TKO and that fighter has lost the match. However, if the participant is able to answer the ten-count, the fight resumes and one point is deducted.
If, at the end of regulated time, neither fighter has submitted, been knocked out, or lost all their points, a decision is rendered based on who lost fewer points. If neither fighter lost any points, or both lost the same number of points, the fight is declared a draw.
In the 1994 King of Pancrase tournament, the rules were slightly different, in that the first round had one 10 minute round and three rope escapes, and the finals had one 20 minute round with three rope escapes.
For a short period of time when Bas Rutten was the King of Pancrase, heelhooks were banned because of the frequency of injuries
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancrase
With that being said, again let me state that I have the highest respect for Pancrase and the accomplishments of Bas Rutten in Pancrase. But it isnt real MMA, it just isnt. Its a great place to learn skills that could translate into MMA, but there is an entirely different reality when closed fist strikes are allowed. When elbows and knees are allowed, and especially when soccer kicks can be employed. The fait of many fights have changed with the addition of these rules and these were all techniques not employed in the Pancrase era of Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock etc.
So while Bas Rutten accomplished much in Pancrase, he only fought in 3 real modern MMA fights. So his accomplishments have to be put into perspective. Bas is who he is, a big name in MMA because of his personality and desire. He accomplished great things in the sport of Pancrase, but thats not MMA. Bas Rutten DID win a UFC Title. Once again, you have to respect that fact. But you cant deny the FACT Kevin Randleman put a hurt on Bas and in the eyes of many truely was the victor of that fight. So Bas Rutten deserves respect, but when you start trying to put Bas ahead of guys who have fought in over 20 and 30 MMA fights, NHB etc. that is truely disrespecting the sport of MMA in my humble opinion.
Its one thing to walk into a ring with rules that prevent elbows, knees, closed fist strikes. But its an entirely different story to walk into the cage or ring when those rules are indeed in place from the very beginning. Its apples and oranges people. It really is. Apples are a fruit yes, but seperate from Oranges. The same applys to Pancrase. They are two different things. Three MMA fights is three MMA fights.
Bas's accomplishments have to be put into perspective, sometimes his word is taken as gospel truth around here. I agree Bas knows quite a bit about MMA and is a colorful and talented spokesperson for the sport. But in my eyes Bas Rutten isnt a legend of MMA. He is a legend of Pancrase though. Apples and Oranges. This isnt a Bas Rutten hate thread, as I said I think Bas is a funny guy, and would love to meet him. But Im also a true fan of MMA, who has been around the sport for a very long time. And Ive got tremendous respect for those guys who do compete in modern MMA rules, old school Vale Tudo/NHB rules.
Bas Rutten Quote:
Quote:
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Funny thing though, when I left Pancrase, I believe they changed the rules in two months, closed fist and no more shoes and shin guards. I am very happy to say that I was fighting in Pancrase, but I am there with the people, it’s not real MMA."
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.02 cents