In the annals of combat sports history, few bouts stand out like the super heavyweight spectacle that was Eric “Butterbean” Esch versus Zuluzinho at PRIDE 34. Dubbed “The 750-Pound Fight” (though, in reality, it was closer to 800 pounds), this clash of titans in April 2007 was it was a seismic event that physicists would study for generations.
Butterbean vs. Zuluzinho
On one side, you had Butterbean, the 5’11”, 350-pound striker, known for his no-nonsense knockouts and unique appearance. His signature bald head and immense round frame made him impossible to miss. He looked like an American Doctor Eggman. With 77 wins in professional boxing, 58 of those by knockout, Butterbean was a walking wrecking ball.
On the other side loomed Zuluzinho, a colossus at 6’7″ and tipping the scales at a jaw-dropping 407 pounds. With his massive size, he was an intimidating figure who, at least on paper, seemed like an immovable object. For Japanese audiences of the Kakutogi-boom era, giants such as Bob Sapp and Hongman Choi were simply too small. They only whet the appetite. These audiences begged for something bigger. And Zuluzinho was the answer to their giant fight cravings.
PRIDE 34
Fans tuned in for one simple reason: they wanted to see what would happen when 800 pounds of human flesh collided. Would the ring survive? Would gravity give up? Would Butterbean, for the first time in his career, look small?
The answers came quickly, which was a surprise given the size. Despite their reputations for flattening opponents with fists the size of dinner plates, the fight took an unexpected turn. Butterbean, the man once described as “a bowling ball with arms,” decided to skip his knockout power and go for a takedown. Yes, you read that right. Butterbean—known for sending people to dreamland with haymakers—took the fight to the ground like a seasoned grappler. A Ryan Hall with some muscle, if you could imagine.
If that wasn’t shocking enough, the real surprise came moments later when Butterbean locked in an Americana submission on Zuluzinho, forcing the Brazilian giant to tap out. The crowd, and probably the planet itself, shook with disbelief. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Butterbean? Grappling? Is there even a black belt long enough for his frame?
Physicists may still be scratching their heads over the Butterbean-Zuluzinho fight, a bout that seemed to defy the laws of nature. When two objects of this magnitude collide the formation of a black hole should occur. Instead, what we got was Butterbean, the human wrecking ball, channeling his inner astrophysicist and Gracie by using leverage and torque to topple a man who could easily double as a celestial object.
For Zuluzinho, it was a rough night. Losing to a man half a foot shorter and best known for punching Johnny Knoxville wasn’t exactly the highlight of his career. But for us normal-sized mortals, it was pretty fun.
Cult hero former professional boxer, Eric Esch, otherwise known as ‘Butterbean’ has confirmed he plans to return to the squared circle for the first time in over a decade come the turn of next year – offering to share the ring with undefeated professional boxer, the polarizing, Jake Paul. Butterbean, who called time on his […]