First things first, this Inside MMA, which by the way is on HD Net, nice little segway. You guys are setting the mixed martial arts world on fire. What’s happening with that show?
Rutten: Man it’s great! You know, tell all the people. Everything that has to do with mixed martial arts man, to bring it out there; I’m all in for it. You know me. It’s great every week. We got great people on the panel. It’s a dream job.
What separates it from other shows of its kind Bas? And why is it really making so many waves so far? It’s not just a news and information show. You guys kind of go a little further, don’t you?
Rutten: Yeah, we got to shoot the breeze a little bit you know. We talk about things that are happening in the MMA world, like now Randy Couture of course is going to be in, because that just happened, so I’m pretty sure that next week we’ll be all over that. Things like steroids; things like, you know if a choke hold, like you know if Renato “Babalu” gets a hold on people for too long, you know we got people in there. We’ll even have “Big” John McCarthy in there, you know if it was a good call; if it wasn’t a good call. If it was a decision that he wasn’t going to get; $25, 000 fine. Now all these kind of things, you know we talk about.
And Bas you just mentioned, I mean it’s been an unbelievable week for mixed martial arts news and definitely people are interested in what you think. Yesterday, the bombshell dropped on the MMA world and of course, we got to give some of the “pat on the back.” Loretta Hunt breaking the news story that Randy Couture has quit the Ultimate Fighting Championship. You know him about as well as anybody else Bas. Did you see this coming? And what’s your reaction?
Rutten: You know, I didn’t see it coming at all. But the thing is this, and you and I both said it the best “people mess with us, you know, and it’s not a nice situation.” You work and you quit, and that’s what we did also, so you know if he didn’t feel comfortable there, I’m supporting Randy. You shouldn’t work at a place where you don’t feel comfortable or when you think that people are kind of betraying you. So I don’t know if it’s true of course, but if it comes from Randy; Randy’s not a liar. So yeah, I wouldn’t work in the same environment.
How do you think this is going to affect not only the UFC, but the entire mixed martial arts world? I mean Randy Couture really has become the face of the sport. You know next to yourself Bas, probably no one more popular in the sport. This is a huge loss for the UFC, is it not?
Rutten: It is a big loss, yes, it’s a big loss. I don’t see this going out good for the UFC, you know listen, the UFC’s big and they will have a little trouble of course. Just to lose Randy Couture, an Icon; that is just a very sad thing and a very bad thing for them.
Now what about another friend of ours; a guy we had the opportunity to cover extensively in Japan, Fedor Emelianenko, finally surfacing with this promotion called M1 out of Russia, which we are hearing has been bought by an American entertainment company. No word on what the name of the company is or who is behind it, but Fedor Emelianenko. Randy Couture cited that as one of the reasons as well that he is not sticking around the octagon, because like he said, at the age of 44, only a couple of fights left in him. One of those fights he wanted to have against, you know, who many people believe is the number one heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. What do you think of Fedor’s decision to join an organization that really not too many people know about?
Rutten: You know, the management from within. The manager for Fedor is a very smart guy man. I love the way he plays to the people and he’s doing just a phenomenal job. I think that when he sees something happening and he sees that it’s going to be big, he jumps on board. Apparently he’s got a real good deal, Fedor does. So that means that they’re going to set the standards. So what’s going to happen now is that all the purses from all the fighters are going to go way up. That means that, you know, every other organization has to do it too. Everybody said I was born in the wrong era you know, in the wrong decade to benefit from all the advice that I now offer to the fighters, but you know, like in boxing, you know it took a while, but suddenly it starts. This could be it man. M1 coming, apparently there’s a billionaire behind it, you know, and billionaires, I got to tell you, they don’t really care about spending money. If you do it the right way, well then you can come out on top and if you start right away to have like, pound-for-pound the best fighter on the planet to stay that good. I think a lot of people will follow.
Now we have to talk about your other occupation, I mean you’re involved as much as anyone else in the sport and wearing many hats. Of course the face of the International Fight League and Bas, not exactly a great week for the IFL in terms of losing the services of Ben Rothwell and Mike Whitehead from the World Grand Prix. I think Rothwell really, next to Chris Ordetski, the real breakout star for the International Fight League as a heavyweight. Kurt Otto stated that, you know he can’t keep them on the show if they don’t sign the contract extension for next year. I’m just wondering, what do you make out of all this rig-a-ma-roll? And is this a loss for the IFL in sense that you know Ben Rothwell could become a major player?
Rutten: Yeah, of course it’s a big loss for the IFL. But like Kurt says, you know, if he can sign, you know, right now there are so many organizations popping up, and if you don’t sign a contract with the guy and he doesn’t want to sign for the next year, you know there are few things you can do. Only let him fight and you’re going to lose him anyway, or you say okay, you can fight in the Grand Prix, but then you got to sign for the next year. IFL kind of made Ben Rothwell, so I figured that he should have stayed with the IFL. But you know what, these are all inside stories and I don’t know what exactly is going on. Bottom line is that it will hurt, you know, it’s of course like the same thing has losing Ordetski. That’s the same thing then. He’s also a superstar in the IFL; it’s just not good. I hope Ben made the right decision though.
It’s a crazy time to be in this business Bas and Kimbo Slice, the man that you helped train for his debut. Legit mixed martial arts fight. News yesterday that he has signed with Elite XC. What are your thoughts on him heading into Elite XC? And the rumours that he could face Tank Abbott or James Thompson on Nov. 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Who do you think the better match-up’s with?
Rutten: You know what, right now we would say Tank Abbott. You and I both know James very well; we like James to see right away against a guy that we always used to sit with, you know and have breakfast. He’s just a really cool guy. I want to see him fight Tank Abbott for this first fight and hopefully Tank is still up for it and he will be smart to do it because, you know Tank is also still a great entertainer and right now we just trained for Tank. Right away when you go to, I mean we’re talking about super heavyweight. Thompson is huge you know. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be a problem you know and Kimbo will take that fight. But right now we got our eyes on the Tank fight and we know it’s going to happen.
Now Kimbo Slice, I mean Bas you were there. I mean you’re not a guy to give out compliments in the gym easy, I mean you’re considered one of the sport’s best trainers. You know, all time great, and Kimbo Slice had the reputation; the underground fighter on the Internet; the street fighter if you will, but people were very impressed and I mean, again, he was taking on a shot former heavyweight boxer in Ray Mercer, but I think a lot of people were impressed at the fact that Ray Mercer wasn’t totally, or excuse me, Kimbo Slice wasn’t exactly a fish out of water. How much more impressed are you with him since that time, preparing for the next fight in November?
Rutten: You know, way more impressed. What he did was, he took his homework. I always give game plans away. I write them down, I give them the game plan, I say this is going to be the game plan. These are the things you got to focus on. If you do that, you’re not going to be in trouble, you know, but you got to hit every point. He took that game plan, he kept the game plan and he kept working on all those points, so when he came back, he was still had all those qualities. Normally, a lot of guys go for something and they forget everything again after four or five weeks. Not Kimbo Slice. He kept working on those, he came back and worked a little bit more on his foot work so he hits even harder right now. Of course, for the ground game, he’d work everywhere for take down defense, you know everything that you’re going to need against a guy like Tank Abbott. Kimbo is just the kind of guy that, he comes in and he don’t complain and everyone that works with him will tell you “man I wish that all my fighters were like that.” He’ll be on time, he will not be complaining, he will do everything you say and things that you teach him like today, tomorrow he goes off in a sparring session. He’s a big sponge and he really wants to learn and on top of that, all these people are saying “oh he’s a thug and he’s this and that.” He’s not. He’s the nicest guy you will meet. He’s a family man. He’s not, you know, he’s not chasing the ladies, you know, like all other fighters do. No, he’s a very good person and the example I use all the time is you know Sabina and Bianca my daughters, you know they don’t come up to anybody you know and certainly, Kimbo Slice, that’s the kind of person you should be afraid of if you see him for the first time. My kids saw Kimbo for the first time and they walked up to him and they started high-fiving him and I think that says something about his aura. I think they see that he’s a good guy.
Definitely, that’s awesome and you know what Bas, it’s always funny because matter how many times we do this or whatever, you always kind of lead me into the next questions. You talk about he’s not a guy that chases the ladies. Mixed martial arts show at the Playboy mansion in Beverly Hills would not be a mixed martial arts show without the presence of one Bas Rutten. I know you checked out the Strike Force show. Now you know me Bas, I really need everything. I’ve always got my notes with me. I’m always doing research, now what’s the story on you walking in on Chuck Zito and a female friend at the Playboy mansion?
Rutten: And a female friend, oh Chuck Zito, I’ve known him for a long time already.
Well he went on the air. I think he does a radio show as well on satellite. He said that he was getting to know a female at the Playboy mansion and you walked in on him or something. Is that true? Or what’s the deal?
Rutten: You know what, the Playboy mansion to me was a big blur. Listen Mauro, you know I haven’t been drinking for a long time so I don’t even drink; not a drop. I’m really good at it, you know for a couple of months. I feel really good, but I just came there and I had so much of sushi and there was so much food and everything available, but I really didn’t have the time to eat and it’s because I, there were people waiting in line for autographs and taking pictures. You know me.
I do know you Bas, but I was going to say and I’m a guy who has to watch it now, so I’m not going to say anything about sushi if you know what I mean. But again, I’m going to ask you, because I’m the man who gets to ask you, did you walk in on Chuck Zito?
Rutten: No, I walked in on Chuck Zito but I was more in the hotel and I think maybe, because Chuck was standing pretty close to me and he also had a whole line of people in front of him, and the cool part of this is that the Playboy bunnies came up to me to ask pictures with me. I thought that was pretty cool.
Bas, you’re always a busy man. What’s on tap? What’s going on in your world now in addition to Inside MMA? Are you training Kimbo Slice? What’s next in the world of El Whoppo?
Rutten: Well, Kimbo will be back next week. He’s now in Miami. I got Benji Radach over here. We’re training every day right now. We already worked on good things but I feel incredible. We have a real good game plan and I came up with a lot of good stuff. I think after this fight, if they can pull off what we’re training on right now, it’s going to be interesting. You’re going to see knockouts; very strange knockouts that you’ve never seen before. So I’m doing that and that’s like ten times or 11 times a week. On top of that, I’ve got four classes; two times in legends in Hollywood and I got two times in my hometown where I also use the gym. So that’s made me very busy and on top of that I do Inside MMA. So on Wednesday, and on top of that I got interviews, like I’m doing right now. I’m also doing an infomercial, and that will come I believe at the end of this year and it’s going to be something really cool. I can’t say anything about it yet.
But you will tell us first when you do, do it?
Rutten: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will give you a call for sure. I hope when I give it to you, you’re going to love it.
When can people check out HD Net fights? I know it’s available on HD Net in the United States and maybe in Canada too I heard, it’s available somewhere.
Rutten: You know what I would do if I were you guys. Google Inside MMA and it will redirect you to the website of HD Net, and there you get links you can see it on your computer. That Erik Paulson interview, was that today?
Yeah, we talked with him today regarding his fight tomorrow night. Actually before we let you go, I know you’re good friends with Erik Paulson too. He’s coming back after many years and taking on Jeff Ford. How do you think he’s going to do tomorrow night?
Rutten: I think he’s going to do it, but I thought they changed the opponent, but you know I don’t want to start saying things here.
Really? Wait a minute, give us the scoop? You don’t tell me who his new opponent is, you sidestep Chuck Zito. What the f**k is going on?
Rutten: Yeah man, definitely I asked if his interview was today, but it was live on the radio, so maybe I’m wrong.
No, no, it doesn’t mean anything. Just because I’m reporting it, it doesn’t mean s**t. If Loretta Hunt doesn’t come up with the scoop then please don’t believe me, because I’m not a journalist, I’m just an entertainer. Okay Bas, always a pleasure. I really appreciate you doing this last minute for us and filling in and really, all the best for you and I’m really, really impressed with the work you’re doing man, with Inside MMA and the IFL and you’re going to be part of “the hour.” Bas, you’re the man; you’re El Whoppo.
Rutten: You know, the thing is, I come from a town which has 75,000 people in it. Like a little village. Now almost everybody knows me. It’s great. I walk up the street here and people just stop you. Kids, kids stop you. Two weeks ago I got a letter from a guy and it says “listen, I asked my six-year-old son what he wanted to have for his birthday, and he said Bas Rutten at his birthday, so I know you can’t make it.” He says “please send him a nice poster.”
That is tremendous. Of course Bas, you’re loved, but one of the reasons people hate you is because of you, they now know who Mauro Ranallo is too.
Transcribed by Blaine van der Griend {plug}
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