10 MMA Fighters Who Became Pro Wrestlers
6. Bas Rutten
Bas Rutten is one of the most charismatic men to ever enter the world of MMA. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion has parlayed his illustrious success in combat sports to a successful career on screen, both acting and presenting. But what isn't as well known is that the Dutch fighter also enjoyed a brief spell in professional wrestling.
Rutten earned legendary status in Japan thanks to his performances in the Pancrase organisation which, to the uninitiated is a mix of modern MMA and shoot-style pro wrestling but without predetermined outcomes. The Dutch fighter found great success in Pancrase, defeating combat sports legends such as Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger, and Minoru Suzuki.
After retiring from MMA in 1999, Rutten made his first appearance in the squared circle at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2000 New Year's Eve show, where he teamed with fellow fighter Alexander Otsuka to take on the team of Naoki Sano and Ricco Rodriguez.
Rutten's time in wrestling would culminate with a title bout with the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata, and while Rutten would come up short in his effort, the Dutchman showed that he was clearly a natural inside the ring.