Butterbean proved himself in MMA with 43-second KO against 6ft 5in 'Colossus' who beat UFC legend
11/25/2024 08:13 AM
Butterbean proved he was a legitimate MMA fighter in 2007.
The boxing icon – real name Eric Esch – crossed over to the sport three years prior and amassed a respectable 8-3-1 record before taking on a 6ft 5in heavyweight known as 'The Colossus'.
After a dreadful debut in PRIDE and a submission to strikes defeat, it seemed like the 5ft 11in, 400lb American's new career was nothing more than a novelty act.
However, he showed just how serious he was against James Thompson at a Cage Rage show 17 years ago.
- READ MORE:Boxing icon Butterbean got drop kicked and tapped out in dreadful debut for legendary MMA promotion
Butterbean bounced James Thompson’s head off the cage
James Thompson retired in 2017, with a 39-fight record, which includes wins over renowned 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 bunch of other elite MMA leagues, was known for keeping his fights standing – but that didn't always work out well for him as 13 of his 17 MMA defeats came via knockout.
Butterbean cracked his glass jaw when they fought at Cage Rage in London.
A tentative opening exploded into life when Thompson tapped his opponent with a low leg kick and was made to pay as Butterbean launched a massive overhand at his chin.
The punch pushed Thompson back towards the cage wall where he ate another vicious right-hand shot that put him down.
Butterbean followed up with a few ground strikes before the referee waved off the fight after just 43 seconds.
Thompson was so dazed and confused that he shot for a takedown as his opponent wheeled 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 across boxing, kickboxing, and MMA to cement himself as a true multi-sport legend.
However, he's hoping to put the gloves on one more time before calling it a career for good after recently completing a 200lb body transformation.
During his time on the sidelines, Butterbean's weight problem became a potentially fatal issue as he ballooned up to 515lbs and started worrying that death may be near.
Thankfully, he's dropped an extraordinary amount of weight in the past few years and now tips the scale at around 300lbs, which is what he weighed during his peak years.
"It changed my life, it really did," Butterbean said about his body transformation.
"Honestly, I thought I had a couple of years left to live. I'm not bulls*******.
"I really forgot who I was, and I pretty much gave up on life.
"Now I believe in myself again. Butterbean is back for one more fight."
Mike Tyson recently returned to the ring at the same age as Butterbean. The rise of crossover fights 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 last hurrah.
