Butterbean will want to forget all about his debut in PRIDE.
The boxing legend – real name Eric Esch – became a fan favorite in the 1990s as people flocked to see his extraordinary knockout power.
Standing at 5ft 11in and weighing over 300lbs, Butterbean wasn’t your typical heavyweight – but he still had massive success during his 91-fight boxing career.
The 58-year-old American enjoyed stints in kickboxing, and wrestling, and even dabbled with MMA during a 17-10 run that saw him compete at several famous shows.
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Butterbean suffered debut disaster in PRIDE
Butterbean boasted a 6-1-1 MMA record when he got the call to fight for the legendary Japanese promotion PRIDE FC in 2006 – one year before it was bought out by the UFC.
Ikuhisa Minowa was his opponent. The 198lb fighter had suffered famous defeats against Mirko Cro Cop, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Wanderlei Silva before being booked against Butterbean.
The ring legend was badly out of shape at the time and weighed over 400lbs on fight night, which gave him around a 200lb weight advantage at Pride FC: Bushido 12.
It didn’t help him. As soon as the fight got underway, Minowa sprinted at his opponent and connected with a drop kick to the face to get the crowd going.
Minowa landed the shot again soon after but fell to his back and was pounced on by the overweight American, who was able to gain grappling control.
Butterbean eventually got swept by his more experienced opponent, who popped away with ground strikes before eventually locking up an armbar submission
Despite his best attempts to fight off the lock, Butterbean was ultimately forced to tap out after just four minutes and 25 seconds.
Butterbean made up for his poor debut performance by winning his next two PRIDE bouts by knocking out Sean O’Haire and submitting Zuluzinho.
Ultimately, he ended his MMA career with a respectable 17-10-1 record that only added to his reputation as one of the wildest fighters in combat sports history.
Butterbean wants to make a comeback
Butterbean seemingly retired from all forms of fighting in 2013.
During his time on the sidelines, his weight problem became a potentially fatal issue as he ballooned up to 515lbs and started worrying that death may be near.
Thankfully, he’s since undergone a dramatic body transformation that has seen him drop over 200lbs to get back down to the weight he weighed during his prime years.
In August 2023, he tipped the scales at 303.8lbs. Butterbean was feeling in such good shape that he began talking up a comeback and even called out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
“It changed my life, it really did,” Butterbean said about his body transformation during a DDP YOGA documentary.
“Honestly, I thought I had a couple of years left to live. I’m not bulls*******.
“I really forgot who I was, and I pretty much gave up on life.
“Now I believe in myself again. Butterbean is back for one more fight.”
It’s currently unclear when Butterbean will return to the ring, but the rise of crossover boxing means that there’s a bunch of combat sports legends ready to answer the call to fight him.
Only time will tell when he’ll complete his incredible journey by lacing up the gloves for one final fight.
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