Butterbean's first MMA title fight ended in a disastrous 40-second defeat.
The boxing icon – real name Eric Esch – switched to MMA in 2003 and enjoyed some success when he scored a spectacular KO win over a 6ft 7in heavyweight known as 'The Colossus'.
It wasn't all plain sailing when Butterbean was dropkicked and submitted by a man 200 pounds lighter than him in 2006, before striking after just 75 seconds when he faced five-time World's Strongest Man four years later Mariusz Pudzianowski fought.
In the fight leading up to his 'Pudzian' defeat, the 400-pound American fan favorite suffered a humiliating defeat to Jeff Kugel in an XCC Super Heavyweight Championship bout.
Photo credits should be ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
The Story of Butterbean vs. Jeff Kugel
In 2010, Butterbean had a respectable MMA record of 15-6-1 and had a three-fight win streak that showed he had both submissions and punching power.
It was enough to impress the Xtreme Cagefighting Championship, who invited him to fight for their super heavyweight title at a show in Michigan called 'Beatdown at the Ballroom 9'.
Hometown hockey player Jeff Kugel was called in as his opponent. The former Windsor Spitfires forward was infamously banned for life from the Ohio Hockey League for this violent outburst during a game in 1998.
Kugel entered the fight with no official combat experience, but he still presented a tough task for Butterbean due to his 6-foot-4, 290-pound frame and his willingness to throw.
As the fight started, Kugel tried to find his range with light kicks to his opponent's stomach and legs.
However, Butterbean quickly closed the gap and initiated a clinch exchange.
It was a serious mistake, as Kugel was able to use the position to drop him to the ground.
Kugel fell into the mount position and used it to hammer away with punches until the fight was called off.
Butterbean ate 33 unanswered punches before tapping out after just 40 seconds in the fastest loss of his MMA career.
The martial arts icon was covered in blood, but he was able to get back up quickly and give Kugel props for making it look easy in his MMA debut.
Butterbean had five more MMA fights before quitting the sport in 2011 after a head kick KO loss to taekwondo instructor Sandy Bowman.
Two years later, he retired from all forms of fighting after competing in 126 fights in boxing, kickboxing and MMA.
Butterbean comeback in 2025?
During his time on the sidelines, Butterbean's weight ballooned to 515 pounds.
The 58-year-old feared it could become a fatal problem, so he underwent a dramatic body transformation that saw him lose more than 200 pounds.
Today he tips the scales at around 300 pounds, which is what he weighed during his peak years as a fighter.
“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.”
In the past, a Butterbean comeback would have been nearly impossible. However, Mike Tyson is the same age as him and his recent fight with Jake Paul attracted 60 million people to Netflix.
Now it's just a matter of finding the right opponent for Butterbean's final hurray.
Related topics
Comments