This weekend, former Pancrase and UFC champion Bas Rutten will fight for the first time in 7 years. And despite rumors persisting for the better part of a decade that he’d make a comeback, the 42 year old says that his decision to return to action now was a spur of the moment type thing.
“It just kind of popped up. My manager Jamie is involved with the WFA, and he offered me the fight. And anything that he does is always good, so I took it” says Rutten.
The revamped World Fighting Alliance is one of the notable upstarts making a vie for some of the UFC’s market share of mixed martial arts in America, and Rutten is headlining their first show Saturday in Los Angeles.
Since initially stepping away from competition because of injuries, Rutten arguably made himself more busy than he was as an active fighter. He had a long stint as an analyst for the Pride Fighting Championships and his reputation for being one of the first well-rounded mixed martial artists earned him the position of trainer to many top fighters throughout the years.
Rutten also maintains a busy traveling schedule conducting seminars across the country. One might assume Bas’ busy seminar schedule would be interrupted by his own fight preparation, but he says that isn’t so.
“I took the fight on short notice and there has been a lot of training. But all of the things I had already planned, I kept those seminars because I don’t like to cancel seminars. So now I’m in that boat. I’m in Vegas, then I go back home, then I’m in Palm Springs.
“I have a camera crew with me all the time now. I thought people might find this interesting to see all this and I’m hoping to get it on TV so people won’t have to pay for it” says Rutten.
Considering the antics and storytelling that the charismatic fighter is known for, such a television special would no doubt be very entertaining. It would also be interesting in and of itself to see how a top fighter from a prior era has adjusted his training to the times.
Rutten says he’s changed a lot.
“I train way different now” says Bas.
“My diet is the big difference. I brought in Ryan Parsons, who was Randy Couture’s nutritionist. I’ve been eating healthy for the first time in my life really” Rutten admits.
A focus on health is a smart move for Rutten, considering his age and the injuries that forced him into retirement initially. While it remains to be seen if he’ll make a Couture-like return to the top of the sport at a relatively advanced age, Rutten says his body is responding well to training.
“You have to remember, I hadn’t trained for 3 and a half years, and hadn’t fought in 7 years, so it took a little bit to come back. The first week was hard, but I got back into it quickly” says Rutten.
Many long-time fans are excited by Rutten’s return, and it’s natural to ask if his comeback is part of a larger plan he already has in place, but he insists that he’s taking things step-by step.
“I’m taking it one fight at a time. I want to see how my body holds up. I had injuries, then they were behind me. I’ll see if they come back. If they don’t, then there would be no reason to stop fighting because I feel great.”
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