Boxing icon Butterbean got drop kicked and tapped out in dreadful debut for legendary MMA promotion

Butterbean will want to completely forget 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.

At 6 feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds, Butterbean wasn't your typical heavyweight, but he still had tremendous success during his 91-fight boxing career.

The 58-year-old American enjoyed kickboxing and wrestling, and even dabbled in MMA during a 17-10 run that saw him compete in several celebrity shows.

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Butterbean suffered a disaster in his debut in PRIDE

Butterbean had a 6-1-1 MMA record when he was called up to fight for legendary Japanese promotion PRIDE FC in 2006 – a year before it was bought out by the UFC.

Ikuhisa Minowa was his opponent. The 198-pound fighter had suffered famous defeats to Mirko Cro Cop, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Wanderlei Silva before being booked against Butterbean.

The ring legend was seriously out of shape at the time and weighed over 400 pounds on fight night, giving him a weight advantage of approximately 200 pounds at Pride FC: Bushido 12.

It didn't help him. As soon as the fight started, Minowa sprinted towards his opponent and connected with a dropkick to the face to get the crowd going.

Minowa landed again shortly afterwards, but fell to his back and was attacked by the overweight American, who was able to gain control of the struggle.

Butterbean was ultimately swept by his more experienced opponent, who got away with ground attacks before finally nailing an armbar submission

Despite his best attempts to fight 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 fights, knocking out Sean O'Haire and submitting Zuluzinho.

Ultimately, he finished his MMA career with a respectable record of 17-10-1, which 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 weighed up to 500 lb (250 kg) and began to worry that death was near.

Fortunately, he has since undergone a dramatic body transformation that has seen him lose more than 200 pounds to get back to the weight he weighed during his prime.

In August 2023, he tipped the scales at 303.8 pounds. Butterbean was feeling in such good shape that he started talking about a comeback and even called out YouTuber boxer Jake Paul.

“It changed my life, it really did,” Butterbean said of his body transformation during a DDP YOGA documentary.

“To be honest, I thought I had a few years left to live. I'm not a bull*******.

“I really forgot who I was, and I pretty much gave up on life.

“Now I believe in myself again. Butterbean is back for another battle.”

It's currently unclear when Butterbean will return to the ring, but the rise of crossover boxing means there are a number of martial arts legends ready to answer the call to fight him.

Only time will tell when he will complete his incredible journey by donning the gloves for one final battle.

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