He may not be a well-known name among the general public, but he has long made his mark within the martial arts world. Tilburg-born Bas Rutten became UFC heavyweight champion, won King of Pancrase three times and can now be seen in the Hollywood film ‘The Smashing Machine’, alongside world stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.
Cor Hemmers, Rutten’s trainer for many years, is not surprised. “I met Bas in 1986, during a kickboxing gala that I organized in the Vianden hall in Breda,” he says. “I was still looking for something to fill the evening. Bas then performed with a friend an acrobatic act to music, but with fighting movements.”
Rutten was willing to perform with his friend for about a hundred guilders. “I noticed him immediately,” says Hemmers. “He was an acrobat with the qualities of a fighter – a sportsman and a stuntman in one. It doesn’t surprise me that he made it this far in America.”
Who is Bas Rutten?
Bas Rutten is seen in the MMA world as a legend in the sport. The Tilburg citizen started his martial arts career with kickboxing, but quickly switched to MMA. Mixed martial arts (English for mixed martial arts). He was best known for his successes in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), where he won the 1999 UFC Heavyweight Championship title and successfully defended it.
As a fighter, Rutten was known for his unorthodox fighting style. He was last in the ring in 2006. After that, he quickly became a popular guest and speaker in the MMA world. ‘El Guapo‘, as his nickname goes, is still a popular MMA commentator and television personality in the United States.
The film in which Rutten can now be seen is entitled ‘The Smashing Machine’, tells the life story of Mark Kerr, one of the founders of modern MMA, Mixed Martial Arts. Dwayne’The RockJohnson plays Kerr, who struggled with an addiction to painkillers at the height of his career.
It is a giant production. And there is a special role for Tilburger Rutten. Although the former MMA fighter did not have to step into someone else’s shoes to play this role. After his own martial arts career, Rutten also briefly trained as Mark Kerr’s trainer. So in the film he plays himself, but 25 years ago.
“It really is Brabant kickboxing on the big screen.”
“What’s so nice about ‘playing itself’ is that it really makes you see kickboxing from Breda again,” says Hemmers. “He later passed on the techniques that I taught him to Mark Kerr. And you can now see those techniques in the film. It is really Brabant kickboxing on the big screen.”
‘The Smashing Machine’ has been showing in Dutch cinemas since November 6.
