Sherdog’s Top 10: Fighters of the 1990s

Brian KnappFeb 02, 2017

6. Bas Rutten


Setting aside the reputation Rutten built for himself at nightclubs, bars and parties all over the globe, the man was one of the top mixed martial artists of the 1990s. A feared striker who was ahead of his time in terms of how he approached MMA, “El Guapo” was already a legend by the time he touched down in the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 18 in January 1999. Only three men defeated Rutten: Masakatsu Funaki, Frank Shamrock and Ken Shamrock (twice). After losing to “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” for a second time in 1995, the Dutchman never looked back. Rutten went an astonishing 21-0-1 over his final 22 appearances and captured titles in Pancrase and the UFC. He was enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame on July 11, 2015.

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