Butterbean proved he was a legitimate MMA fighter in 2007.
The boxing icon – real name Eric Esch – turned to the sport four years earlier, amassing a respectable record of 8-3-1 before taking on a 6-foot-4 heavyweight known as 'The Colossus'.
After a terrible debut in PRIDE and a submission to defeat, it seemed the 6-foot-4, 400-pound American's new career was nothing more than a novelty.
However, he showed how serious he was against James Thompson seventeen years ago.
Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
Butterbean bounced James Thompson's head off the cage
James Thompson retired in 2017 with a record 39 fights, including wins over famed referee Marc Goddard, UFC legend Dan Severn, WWE superstar Bobby Lashley and five-time 'World's Strongest Man' Mariusz Pudzianowski.
The Englishman, who fought in Bellator, Strikeforce, PRIDE and a number of other elite MMA leagues, was known for keeping his fights standing – but that didn't always work out well, as 13 of his 17 MMA defeats came via knockout came. .
Butterbean broke his glass jaw when they fought at Cage Rage in London.
A tentative opening came to life when Thompson tagged his opponent with a low leg kick and was made to pay when Butterbean launched a huge overhand to his chin.
The punch pushed Thompson back to the cage wall, where he ate another vicious right hand shot that sent him down.
Butterbean followed with a pair of ground strikes before the referee waved the fight off after just 43 seconds.
Thompson was so dazed and confused that he shot for a takedown as his opponent pulled away to celebrate the biggest win of his MMA career. 'The Colossus' looked like he didn't know what had happened as the referee pinned him against the fence and explained that he had just been knocked out.
Where is Butterbean now?
Butterbean seemingly retired from all forms of fighting in 2013.
The 58-year-old had 126 fights in boxing, kickboxing and MMA to cement himself as a true multi-sport legend.
However, he hopes to lace up the gloves one more time before calling it a career for good after recently completing a 200-pound body transformation.
During his time on the sidelines, Butterbean's weight problem became a potentially fatal issue as he weighed up to 500 pounds (250 kg) and began to worry that death was near.
Fortunately, he has lost an extraordinary amount of weight in recent years and now tips the scales at about 300 pounds, which is what he weighed during his peak years.
“It changed my life, it really did,” Butterbean said of his body transformation.
“To be honest, I thought I had a few years left to live. I'm not 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.”
Mike Tyson recently returned to the ring at the same age as Butterbean. The rise of crossover battles means there are more opportunities than ever for legends to make a comeback. Now it's just a matter of finding the right opponent for Butterbean's final hurray.
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