Bas Rutten Steps Down as IFL Coach

Twist of Lemon · 03-18-2007, 05:45 AM

Quote:

RUTTEN STEPS DOWN AS IFL COACH

Tompkins Takes Anacondas' Helm

By Loretta Hunt (loretta@thefightnetwork.com)

The only drawback of being multi-talented is sometimes you have to choose.

Tonight, Bas Rutten stepped down as the Los Angeles Anacondasâ€™ head coach to join the year-old International Fight Leagueâ€™s commentating booth for its fourth scheduled event at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood.

Anacondasâ€™ assistant Coach Shawn Tompkins will take the helm of the six-fighter squad comprised of American and Canadian athletes.

Buoyant Dutchman Rutten will also begin serving as a host for the organizationâ€™s â€œBattlegroundâ€ series, which had a shaky debut last Monday night on fledgling broadcast channel MyNetworkTV. With IFL heads promising a much-altered product for the seriesâ€™ second installment of 21 remaining episodes, as well as the promotionâ€™s recently renewed contract with the FOX Sports Network; it leaves little time for Rutten to coach from the Anacondasâ€™ corner.

â€œOn one side, it was [a tough decision] because of my guys, but on the other side it wasnâ€™t because the FOX people said I could be Bas, that I could do anything I want, be as crazy as I want, which is me.â€

In 1999, longtime Pancrase veteran Rutten (28-4-1) immigrated to the U.S. in the hopes of being an actor, entering the Ultimate Fighting Championship as part of that campaign. Rutten became a UFC Heavyweight Champion at 1999â€™s UFC 20, earning a decision over Kevin Randleman in a pivotal bout for the evolving sport.

Rutten became a PRIDE commentator in 2000, working opposite a rotating cast of broadcast partners till his exit from the Japanese promotion in 2006. Rutten recently signed with the prominent William Morris Talent Agency to further his dramatic endeavors.

â€œBas and I have been training the fighters the same way,â€ said the renowned Canadian coach Tompkins, who has coached the Anacondas since their inception last year. â€œI think we have the same philosophies on fighting, so itâ€™s a good transition. Iâ€™ve been training the guys 70 to 80 percent of the time anyway since Bas has been so busy.â€

Tompkins says Rutten will continue to attend Anacondasâ€™ training sessions as his time permits.

New team leader Tompkins has been practicing martial arts since the age of six. His 13-year-old Team Tompkins Muay Thai and Submissions Training Facility has produced such standouts as Sam Stout, Mark Hominick, Jonathan Goulet, as well as 19-year-old prodigy Chris Horodecki.

Tompkins recently relocated to Southern California, where he assisted in PRIDE Welterweight Champion Dan Hendersonâ€™s second round knockout victory over Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva at Feb 24's PRIDE 33 to take his title.

Well, looks like IFL is making strides to make there company better after that phailtastic first show they had. Hopefully they edit out all that stretcher shit and flatline stuff and let the fights speak for them selfs.

Dmac · 03-18-2007, 08:09 AM

Well I haven't seen anything from IFL yet, but with all the high class fighters they have for coaches I assumed it would be good but I am guessing I was wrong?

Twist of Lemon · 03-18-2007, 08:13 AM

It was pretty shit, Crappy fighters besides maybe 1 or 2, and the whole production value was about a guy going out on a strecher (they hyped the WHOLE show around it and saved it for the last fight to show). Not mention the constant "Someones going to a hospital!" "Some one better call 911 before the shows over!" "someones leaving on a strecher!" etc etc etc, complete bullshit for an MMA company to do that stuff now.

Dmac · 03-18-2007, 08:17 AM

Sounds like a very un-organized, poor organization, the great coaches they have mislead you completely.

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Bas Rutten Steps Down as IFL Coach

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