Butterbean got drop kicked and tapped out in disastrous debut with MMA promotion

Butterbean left a remarkable legacy in combat sports, but didn’t make a mark on his Pride FC debut.

Real name Eric Esch, Butterbean became a fighting phenomenon during his time in the spotlight, with fans flocking to his fights in awe of his unique physique and KO power.

Butterbean dipped his toe in a range of disciplines, primarily boxing and wrestling, but also had several fights in MMA competing under a variety of different labels.

The American star decided to sign with former Japanese organisation Pride FC, who set up his debut for them against Ikuhisa Minowa.

He had tussled with the likes of Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Wanderlei Silva, but been defeated before his breakout moment.

Minowa was a formidable fighter on the promotion, but Esch fancied his chances in the contest which was staged over two five-minute rounds.

In a fast-paced opener after a matter of seconds, the Japanese star dived off his feet and landed a crushing double leg drop kick on the head of Butterbean.

He was briefly dazed and stumbled backwards slightly, before regaining his composure and nodding his head asking for more from his rival.

Unfortunately for the iconic combat star, that is exactly what he got and things started to get messy for Butterbean.

After another drop kick clipped his chin, Butterbean decided to take things to the ground and bundled on top of his opponent.

The pair hit the mat with Butterbean in full-mount trying to land his strikes, but things looked ominous and a reality check was incoming.

And so it came with under a minute left on the clock, as Butterbean fell into the trap and was placed into an armbar by his MMA rival.

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Minowa tightened his grip further until there was no way out, other than by tapping out frantically to signal to the referee that he was done.

The official tore the pair apart and the fight was stopped with Butterbean handed a disastrous defeat in his maiden appearance.

It was an historic win for Minowa who grew his resume to new levels, next beating wrestling legend Bart Gunn in his final fight for the label.

He went on to continue fighting until November 2022, with his last fight ending in defeat against Kiyoshi Kuwabara on RIZIN.

It was a miserable start to life in Pride FC for Butterbean, on the other hand, as he went on to fight just once more for the promotion – winning against Sean O’Haire two months later.

His MMA career was far from over, however, continuing to compete in the cage alongside his boxing, even taking on Mariusz Pudzianowski who brutally KO’d him on KSW in 2010.

Butterbean’s final bow came in 2011 where he was beaten by Sandy Bowman and decided to give it up for good.

His simultaneous long stint in the boxing ring came to an end two years later in 2013, having began to suffer from health problems which forced him to retire from all competition.

The legend had made an equal success of his boxing career taking on the likes of Larry Holmes during his heyday.

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Now in the present day, Butterbean is a completely different character and has shed around 200lbs to improve his physical condition.

He has once again made himself a prominent name, first calling out Jake Paul for a stunning comeback fight in 2020.

It has yet to materialise and four years later in 2024, he hasn’t yet made any reappearance in combat sports.

Having lost the weight, he has insisted he still possesses his natural power and posted training footage for fans to see.

Butterbean has since issued a £1.5 million offer to Paul, insisting the fight can be made in 2025.

Paul will face Mike Tyson on November 15, and the 58-year-old insists he would be open to facing the winner.