Eric Esch

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Butterbean
Professional Wrestling)
Professional boxing record
Total91
Wins77
By knockout58
Losses10
Draws4
Kickboxing record
Total7
Wins3
By knockout2
Losses4
By knockout2
Mixed martial arts record
Total28
Wins17
By knockout8
By submission9
Losses10
By knockout7
By submission3
Draws1
Other information
Boxing record from BoxRec
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Eric David Scott Esch (born August 3, 1966), better known by his nickname "Butterbean",

television personality. Esch became a professional boxer in 1994 after a successful stint on the Toughman Contest scene and went on to capture the World Athletic Association (WAA) heavyweight and IBA super heavyweight championships. From 2003, he regularly fought as a kickboxer and mixed martial artist, notably in K-1 and the Pride Fighting Championships. Esch's combined fight record is 97–24–5 with 65 knockouts and 9 submissions
.

Early life

Esch, who is of

German descent, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but at age four he and his family moved to St. Johns, Michigan, only to move again at 11 years old to Jasper, Alabama
, with his family. He had a difficult childhood; his mother died when he was eight, and he was frequently bullied at school for being overweight.

While decking floors for manufactured homes at the Southern Energy Homes plant in Addison, Alabama, his colleagues dared him to enter a local Toughman Contest, with training in Bay City, Michigan. He won the tournament and began his career in fight sports.[6]

Career

Boxing career; "King of the 4 Rounders" (1994–2002)

Esch began his fighting career on the Toughman Contest scene in Texarkana, Arkansas, in the early 1990s and went on to become a five-time World Toughman Heavyweight Champion with a record of 56–5 with 36 knockouts.[7] He received the nickname "Butterbean" when he was forced to go on a diet (consisting mostly of chicken and butterbeans) in order to meet the Toughman 400 pound (181 kg) weight limit under the new age trainer Prozay Buell “the better Buell”.[8]

He made his professional boxing debut on October 15, 1994, beating Tim Daniels by decision in Birmingham, Alabama. He soon developed a cult following and became known as "King of the 4 Rounders". Speaking of his popularity in a 2008 interview with BoxingInsider, Esch stated:

"It took off pretty quick, my second pro fight was on national TV—it don't happen like that, normally you get 15, 20 fights and then you get a TV fight unless you’re very fortunate. Tyson, his second pro fight wasn’t on TV. He probably had five or six, seven fights before he got on TV. Me, my second pro fight was televised, it was on a Jed Hearns undercard. Then a couple more fights and I’m on TV again, and every fight since then was televised. It just don't happen like that. I've probably had more televised fights than any world champion out there."[9]

Esch ran up a string of wins, mostly by knockout, before being stopped in two rounds by last-minute replacement Mitchell Rose on December 15, 1995. Rose would later claim that representatives of Top Rank Boxing approached him the night before the fight and offered him five thousand dollars to throw the match. Esch would then go on to win or draw his next 51 matches (although a number of his wins and draws by decision were considered highly controversial). His most notable win during that time was against Peter McNeeley. Esch never defeated an actively ranked heavyweight contender by any of the four major boxing organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO). In 1997 however, his promoter Bob Arum convinced the International Boxing Association (IBA) to create a title specifically for Esch called, “The IBA Super Heavyweight Championship." In a 1999 interview with the LA Times, Bob Arum explained: “I came up with the idea to make him ‘King of the Four-Rounders’ and got (IBA commissioner) Dean Chance to give him a belt as champion of the nonexistent super heavyweight division.” Esch would occasionally defend the title on the undercards of popular main events. [10] He made six successful defenses before the title was relinquished in 2000. Later that year, the lightly regarded World Athletic Association (WAA) briefly granted him their vacant Heavyweight Title with the same promotional concept, although Butterbean never officially defended the belt.

Esch's five-year streak was brought to an end with a majority decision defeat by heavyweight Billy Zumbrun in August 2001. The following year, he fought his first ten rounder against fifty-two-year-old former world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 27. While Holmes won a unanimous decision, Esch was credited with a controversial knockdown in the final round, which was later shown in filmed replays as not being a knockdown, no punch having landed, and it was a slip; and Holmes only reeled against the ropes. This was one of only three fights in a 109-fight career that was scheduled for more than four rounds.[11]

K-1 (2003–2005)

Esch ventured into the sport of

K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final in Yokohama, Japan on September 21, 2003. He was floored twice with low kicks in the first round before being finished with a high kick in the second.[12]

In his first

strikes. "The Neo-Samurai" took Esch to the mat with a low, single-leg takedown at the end of round one and attempted a leglock only to be halted by the bell signaling the end of the round, which had been a stalemate up until then. Early in round two, the fighters tumbled to the ground after Sudo attempted a dropkick on Esch, and the Japanese grappling ace took full advantage of the American boxer's lack of grappling skill by securing a heel hook submission
at the 0:41 mark.

Returning to the kickboxing ring at

K-1 Beast 2004 in Shizuoka
on June 26, 2004, losing to 210.82 cm (6 ft 11.00 in) giant Montanha Silva by unanimous decision.

Competing in the eight-man tournament at the

K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii in Honolulu on July 29, 2005, Esch put an end to his losing streak when he scored a third round standing eight count en route to a unanimous decision victory over 150 kg (330 lb) brawler Marcus Royster in the quarterfinals. Despite the win, Esch sustained an injury to his left leg during the fight and could not continue and so Royster was entered back into the tournament in his place.[15]

Professional wrestling (1997, 1999, 2009–2012)

Esch appeared twice in

on March 28, 1999, knocking his opponent out in 34 seconds.

In 2009 he returned to professional wrestling on the independent circuit. He defeated Trent Acid for the Pro Wrestling Syndicate Heavyweight title on May 29, 2009, in Garfield, New Jersey. On June 10, 2009, Esch defeated One Man Kru at OmegaCon at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama, at a wrestling event for charity. Nearly a year later he dropped to the title to Kevin Matthews on May 9, 2010. Also, he wrestled for Juggalo Championship Wrestling. On April 1, 2011, Esch teamed with Officer Adam Hadder in a tag-team match against One Man Kru and WWE Hall of Famer Brutus The Barber" Beefcake in a charity wrestling event taped for an episode of Big Law: Deputy Butterbean, a reality show which aired on Investigation Discovery. On March 31, 2012, he defeated Cliff Compton at the event WrestleRama Guyana in Georgetown, Guyana.

Pride Fighting Championships (2006–2007)

Esch before Pride 32 in October 2006

Having lost his MMA debut to Genki Sudo, Esch stuck with the sport and regrouped, going 6–0–1 in appearances in

armbar submission at 4:25 of round one.[18]

Esch was set to fight

visa issues" were preventing Hunt from competing in the bout,[21] but it was later confirmed that Hunt could not compete due to the NSAC's ruling. Pro wrestler Sean O'Haire stepped in as Hunt's replacement and Esch TKO'd him in under thirty seconds.[22]

Departing Pride briefly to compete in

Cage Rage, Esch submitted to strikes from Rob Broughton in the second round of their contest at Cage Rage 19 in London, England, on December 9, 2006.[23] He then rebounded with a forty-three second knockout of James Thompson at Cage Rage 20 on February 10, 2007.[24]

Esch returned to Pride for the promotion's last event,

key lock at 2:35 of the opening round.[25]

Later career (2007–2013)

Esch's next fight was on July 14, 2007, against reigning Cage Rage World Heavyweight Champion Tengiz Tedoradze in a non-title bout at Cage Rage 25, losing via TKO. Global Fighting Championships had scheduled a main event bout between Esch and Ruben Villareal for their inaugural event, but the event was canceled when half the scheduled matchups could not take place due to medical issues (Esch vs. Villareal was the only viable main event).[26] He was then set to fight Jimmy Ambriz as the main event of Xcess Fighting's debut card, but was a no show for the weigh-in citing scheduling conflicts.[27]

Esch made a brief return to K-1 to fight at the

K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii on August 9, 2008, rematching Wesley Correira in the quarterfinals and losing via a second-round high kick KO.[28][29]

Esch lost via first-round KO for the EBF title against Mark Potter at the Syndicate Nightclub in Blackpool, England on September 14, 2008. This fight has not been recorded on boxrec.com or any other site of the same nature, as Potter was not licensed at the time.[citation needed]

Esch made his independent professional wrestling debut at the

pinfall after smashing him with a vicious 400 lb. elbow drop. Esch won the Pro Wrestling Syndicate Heavyweight Championship on May 29, 2009, after defeating Trent Acid.[citation needed] Esch lost in a first round TKO (submission) to Jeff Kugel on March 6, 2010, in Mount Clemens, Michigan in an MMA bout for Xtreme Cagefighting Championship 46: Beatdown at the Ballroom 9 in a devastating :40 second pummeling.[30]

Esch lost the belt to Kevin Matthews on May 8, 2010, in White Plains, New York.[citation needed]

In his final kickboxing match at Moosin II in Seoul, South Korea on July 29, 2009, Esch KO'd Moon-bi Lam forty-six seconds into round one.

On October 3, 2009, Esch lost a four-round split decision to Harry Funmaker whom he earlier beat on two occasions. After the bout he announced his retirement.[31] He seemingly changed his mind, however, and soon returned to competition.

On September 18, 2010, Esch was defeated by Mariusz Pudzianowski by submission due to strikes at KSW XIV in Łódź, Poland. After several exchanges of strikes on the feet, Pudzianowski attacked and took Esch down, proceeding to throw numerous punches from side control in a ground-and-pound attack. Esch, unable to get to his feet, submitted at just 1:15 into the first round.[32]

Esch next took on up-and-coming super heavyweight Deon West at the LFC 43: Wild ThangMMA internet pay-per-view on October 12, 2010. After a heated contest, Deon did not rise for the third round. Butterbean humbled Deon West via TKO at 5:00 of round two.

On April 1, 2011, Esch returned to pro wrestling and teamed with his Walker County Sheriff Deputy partner Adam Hadder to take on Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and One Man Kru in a tag-team match at the Battle Against Drugs charity benefit which was taped for Esch's reality show Big Law. He appeared in February 2012 at Wrestlerama in Georgetown, Guyana where on entering the ring he told the crowd Guyana is his second home and was booed off because he mispronounced Guyana.[33]

Esch defeated Dean Storey at Elite 1 MMA: High Voltage on May 7, 2011, in

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, to claim the promotions super heavyweight title. He knocked out Storey 24 seconds into the second round.[34]
Many people have compared Esch to British warrior "Big" Ben Copley, with similar stature and size. The two were scheduled to meet in a 6-round contest, with Copley ultimately stepping down due to being what he called himself a “bottle job”. After this, Esch ultimately retired from competition, stating that a fight with bottle job Copley would bring him out of retirement.

Retirement (2013–present)

In retirement, Esch's health deteriorated. He suffered from intense pain coupled with severely impaired mobility. Even with the assistance of crutches, Esch struggled to walk. The pain necessitated that he attended conventions in a wheelchair.

In 2022, Esch began working with former wrestler & life coach Diamond Dallas Page to improve his health. As a result of his progress with Page's DDP Yoga program, Esch's weight dropped below 300 lbs. for the first time in decades. The weight loss enabled Esch to qualify for surgery to repair a semi-fused hip. Since his successful hip surgery in 2022, Esch has openly expressed a desire to return to professional boxing, although none of his proposed matches (including fights with Jake Paul and Mike Tyson) have any official plans to take place. In 2024, DDP Yoga released Butterbean's Comeback - One More Fight, a video montage chronicling Esch's achievements & transformative recovery.[35]

Media appearances

Big Law: Deputy Butterbean

Esch is a reserve deputy sheriff in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama, and starred in the reality television documentary entitled Big Law: Deputy Butterbean, which aired on the Investigation Discovery channel in 2011. He described the genesis of the show:

They came to me wanting to do a reality documentary on my restaurant and I was in the process of closing my restaurant down. I said "If you want something interesting and fun to watch, follow us on our drug busts in the sheriff's department." They agreed people would be interested in this. "They started following us, filming it and documenting us actually making the busts. You arrest somebody and say "Look, if you don't want to go to jail you've got to help us bust a bigger guy." We make a bigger bust from that. The whole goal is to get people on file and lessen the number of criminals on the streets.[36]

Esch hoped the show would help the cause of law enforcement:

I think this show is going to prove that people really care about the communities they lived in. There's going to be more people calling (the police station) saying "Hey, this guy is doing this crime. You should look into it." We want people to step forward and help the police clean up our communities.[36][37]

The show was not renewed for a second season.

Film

Esch appeared in the film Jackass: The Movie, in a public stunt: an arranged fight with Johnny Knoxville in a department store. After the fight began, Knoxville fell, got up, was asked by Esch to hit him at least once. Knoxville did so, was easily knocked to the floor by Esch, and received several stitches in his head after the encounter (the camera appears to show Knoxville snoring, but Knoxville stated in an interview with Vanity Fair that he was actually trying to swallow his tongue as a result of being knocked out[38]). After waking up, a groggy Knoxville jokingly asked if Esch survived the fight. Knoxville stated that Esch is actually quite friendly outside of the ring, despite his fearsome ringside demeanor.[38]

Esch also appeared in the film Chairman of the Board as the Museum Security Guard with the "chia hair", a fact that is pointed out on the DVD commentary by the film's star Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson.[citation needed]

Television

Esch appeared on

Adult Swim's Squidbillies, where he sang the national anthem, finally beating up a fan for not taking off his hat.[citation needed
]

Esch appeared on

]

Esch was referenced on NBC's Parenthood (2010). The episode, which aired on October 5, 2010, was titled "Date Night".[citation needed]

In June 2013, Esch was interviewed in Australia on

Matty Johns.[citation needed
]

Esch appeared on TruTV's Friends of the People in a sketch as "Dr. Butterbean", using his sweet science boxing skills as an anesthesiologist. The Season 2 Episode 7 was called "Great White Haters".[citation needed].

On September 22, 2022, Esch appeared on an episode of Celebrity Family Feud titled "The Cast of Jackass", as part of the Tremaine family, competing against the Knoxville family.

On January 2, 2024, Esch joined the cast of “Moonshiners” on Discovery Channel, helping moonshiner Josh Owens recover after a motorcycle accident.

Radio

On July 16, 2005, Esch fought Dieter of

Cleveland, Ohio, in a bout billed as "War on the Shore".[39]

Video games

Esch was featured on the cover of, and was the final boss character in, the

Sega 32X.[40] He also appeared as a playable character in all of the EA Sports boxing video games in the Knockout Kings series. In the 2007 PC game The Witcher, the main character can challenge a tavern fistfighter (with a body structure similar to that of Esch) by the name of Butter Bean during the second chapter of the game. Esch is a playable fighter in EA's fifth installment of the Fight Night series Fight Night Champion.[citation needed
]

Personal life

Esch is married to Libby Gaskin and has three children: sons Brandon and Caleb, and daughter Grace. Both of his sons used to be mixed martial artists.[41]

In 2018 Esch opened a family-run restaurant in Jasper, Alabama called Mr. Bean's BBQ.

Championships and awards

Boxing

  • International Boxing Association
    • IBA World Super Heavyweight (+95.2 kg/210 lb) Championship (One time)
  • Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame
    • 2023 Inductee
    • 2023 Perseverance Award
  • World Athletic Association
    • WAA World Heavyweight (+90.7 kg/200 lb) Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts

  • Elite-1 MMA
    • Elite-1 MMA Super Heavyweight (+120.2 kg/265 lb) Championship (One time)

Professional wrestling

  • Pro Wrestling Syndicate
    • Pro Wrestling Syndicate Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[42]

Professional boxing record

91 fights 77 wins 10 losses
By knockout 58 2
By decision 19 8
Draws 4
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
Loss 77–10–4 New South Wales Kirk Lawton TKO 2 (4), 3:00 2013-06-29 Australia Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, New South Wales
Loss 77–9–4 United States Curt Allan UD 4 2012-01-13
Horseshoe Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, Indiana
Loss 77–8–4 United States Harry Funmaker SD 4 2009-10-03
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Win 77–7–4 Italy Joe Siciliano KO 2 (4), 1:10 2007-03-09 United States Worcester Palladium, Worcester, Massachusetts
Win 76–7–4 United States Joaquin Garcia KO 1 (4), 0:48 2006-12-16 United States Dow Event Center, Saginaw, Michigan
Win 75–7–4 United States Ed White TKO 1 (4), 1:46 2006-09-23 United States Belterra Casino Resort & Spa, Florence, Indiana
Win 74–7–4 United States Daniel White UD 4 2006-03-24 United States Wing's Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Loss 73–7–4 Australia Baden Oui MD 4 2005-11-18 Australia Carrara Sports Complex, Gold Coast, Queensland
Loss 73–6–4 United States George Linberger SD 4 2005-10-15 United States Chaparral Club, Akron, Ohio For the NABC North American Super Heavyweight Championship.
Loss 73–5–4 United States Kenny Craven UD 4 2005-08-20 China Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Win 73–4–4 United States Rick Zufall KO 3 (4), 2:39 2005-08-09 United States Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California
Loss 72–4–4 United States Kenny Craven MD 4 2005-05-14 United States Mississippi Coliseum, Jackson, Mississippi
Win 72–3–4 United States Kenny Craven TKO 3 (4), 1:23 2005-02-12
Magnolia Center, Laurel, Mississippi
Win 71–3–4 United States Brian McIntyre UD 4 2004-11-20 United States Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Win 70–3–4 Canada Richie Goosehead MD 4 2004-09-24
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Win 69–3–4 United States Salvador Farnetti TKO 1 (4), 0:50 2004-07-22
HP Pavilion at San Jose, San Jose, California
Win 68–3–4 Canada Marcelo Aravena SD 4 2004-05-15 United States 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, New Town, North Dakota
Win 67–3–4 United States Rodney Phillips KO 2 (4), 1:49 2004-05-08 United States Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 66–3–4 Canada Troy Roberts TKO 1 (4) 2003-06-13 United States Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City, Oregon
Draw 65–3–4 United States Lewis Gilbert SD 4 2003-03-28 United States Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Loss 65–3–3 United States Larry Holmes UD 10 2002-07-27 United States Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia
Win 65–2–3 United States Craig Wolfley KO 4 (4) 2002-02-02 United States Grand Casino Gulfport, Gulfport, Mississippi
Win 64–2–3 United States Kevin Tallon UD 4 2001-12-12 United States Caesar's Casino, Elizabeth, Indiana
Loss 63–2–3 United States Billy Zumbrun MD 4 2001-08-19 United States Stateline Casino, West Wendover, Nevada
Win 63–1–3 England Shane Woollas TKO 1 (4), 2:38 2001-06-16 England Wembley Conference Centre, London
Win 62–1–3 United States Tyrone Muex TKO 2 (8), 2:49 2001-04-19
Grand Casino Tunica, Tunica, Mississippi
Draw 61–1–3 United States Abdul Muhaymin PTS 4 2000-11-17 United States Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 61–1–2 United States Harry Funmaker UD 4 2000-11-03 United States Ho-Chunk Casino, Baraboo, Wisconsin
Win 60–1–2 United States Marcus Rhode KO 3 (4), 2:06 2000-09-15
Denver, Colorado
Win 59–1–2 United States Dan Kosmicki TKO 2 (4), 2:40 2000-07-28 United States Selland Arena, Fresno, California
Win 58–1–2 United States Kerry Biles KO 2 (4), 2:52 2000-06-17
Los Angeles, California
Win 57–1–2 United States Bill Johnson KO 2 (4), 2:49 2000-05-19 United States Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California
Win 56–1–2 United States Dan Kosmicki TKO 4 (4), 0:52 2000-05-05 United States Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona
Win 55–1–2 United States George Linberger TKO 1 (4), 0:19 2000-03-04
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
, Nevada
Retains the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship. Later awarded the WAA World Heavyweight Championship.
Win 54–1–2 United States Kevin Tallon UD 4 2000-02-17 United States Coeur d'Alene, Worley, Idaho
Win 53–1–2 United States Tim Ray UD 4 1999-12-10
Grand Casino Tunica, Tunica, Mississippi
Win 52–1–2 United States Allen Smith TKO 2 (4), 2:16 1999-11-23 United States Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Win 51–1–2 United States Melvin Lumzy KO 3 (4), 1:00 1999-11-11
Grand Casino Biloxi, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 50–1–2 United States George Chamberlain TKO 3 (4), 1:25 1999-10-21 United States Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.
Win 49–1–2 United States Kenny Craven TKO 2 (4), 1:55 1999-09-18
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
, Nevada
Retains the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship.
Draw 48–1–2 United States Jason Farley PTS 4 1999-08-06 United States State Fairgrounds, Columbus, Ohio
Win 48–1–1 United States Tim Burgoon KO 2 (4) 1999-07-31 Mexico Plaza de Toros, Tijuana Retains the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 47–1–1 United States Peter McNeeley TKO 1 (4), 2:59 1999-06-26
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
, Nevada
Win 46–1–1 United States Russell Chasteen UD 4 1999-06-11 United States Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
Win 45–1–1 United States Jason Hurley TKO 2 (4), 2:16 1999-05-27 United States Gold Strike Tunica, Tunica, Mississippi
Win 44–1–1 United States Roy Bedwell UD 4 1999-04-16 United States Catfish Bend Casino, Burlington, Iowa
Win 43–1–1 United States Kevin Tallon TKO 3 (4), 2:50 1999-04-02 United States Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Win 42–1–1 Canada Patrick Graham TKO 3 (4), 0:46 1999-02-13 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Retains the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 41–1–1 United States Troy Roberts TKO 3 (4) 1998-09-18 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 40–1–1 United States Tim Pollard KO 1 (4), 1:37 1998-08-25
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win 39–1–1 United States Billy Eaton KO 3 (4), 2:38 1998-03-23 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut
Win 38–1–1 United States Warrant Williams KO 1 (4) 1998-02-28
Cincinnati, Ohio
Win 37–1–1 United States Harry Funmaker UD 4 1998-01-16
Bank of America Center, Boise, Idaho
Retains the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 36–1–1 United States Doug Phillips PTS 4 1997-12-06 United States Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 35–1–1 United States Ken Woods TKO 4 (4) 1997-10-30 United States Washington, D.C.
Draw 34–1–1 United States Billy Eaton MD 4 1997-09-13 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 34–1 Mexico Enrique Ruiz DQ 4 (4) 1997-08-13 United States Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia
Win 33–1 United States Scott Lindecker KO 4 (4), 1:20 1997-07-09
Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington
Win 32–1 United States Jason Farley TKO 4 (4) 1997-06-15
Grand Casino Biloxi, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 31–1 United States Bill Duncan KO 2 (4) 1997-04-17 United States Adam's Mark Hotel, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Win 30–1 United States Ed White TKO 2 (4), 1:14 1997-04-12 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Awarded the IBA World Super Heavyweight Championship pre-fight. First successful defense.
Win 29–1 United States Sean Jegen TKO 3 (4), 1:33 1997-04-02 United States Station Casino, Kansas City, Missouri
Win 28–1 United States Ken Woods KO 2 (4), 1:29 1997-03-22 United States Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas
Win 27–1 United States Nick Phillips UD 4 1997-02-12
New York City, New York
Win 26–1 United States Curt Allan TKO 3 (4), 2:56 1997-01-18 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 25–1 United States Sean Jegen KO 1 (4), 2:47 1996-12-06 United States Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada
Win 24–1 United States William Harris TKO 4 (4) 1996-07-10 United States The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California
Win 23–1 United States George Clarke KO 1 (4), 1:54 1996-06-07 United States Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 22–1 United States Jonathan Whitfield TKO 4 (4), 1:44 1996-05-14 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut
Win 21–1 Puerto Rico Richard Davis KO 1 (4), 1:10 1996-04-30
San Antonio, Texas
Win 20–1 United States Jack Ramsey TKO 1 (4), 1:28 1996-04-22
Prairie Meadows Racetrack, Altoona, Iowa
Win 19–1 United States James Baker KO 1 (4), 0:18 1996-03-19 United States Spruce Goose, Long Beach, California
Win 18–1 United States Billy McDonald KO 1 (4), 2:16 1996-03-13
Los Angeles, California
Win 17–1 United States Joe Wiggins TKO 4 (4), 1:03 1996-02-25 United States Arizona Charlie's, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 16–1 United States Tim Ray TKO 2 (4) 1996-01-25
Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Loss 15–1 United States Mitchell Rose TKO 2 (4), 0:48 1995-12-15
New York City, New York
Win 15–0 United States Louis Monaco KO 1 (4), 1:58 1995-12-01 United States Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California
Win 14–0 United States Pat Jackson TKO 3 (4), 3:00 1995-10-25 United States Pontchartrain Center, Kenner, Louisiana Esch accidentally hits and knocks out referee in round 3. Jackson refuses to carry on with the match.
Win 13–0 United States Kenneth Myers MD 4 1995-09-29 United States Buffalo Bill's, Primm, Nevada
Win 12–0 United States Anthony Hunt TKO 2 (4) 1995-09-16 United States Chillicothe, Ohio
Win 11–0 United States Adam Sutton PTS 4 1995-09-09 United States Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 10–0 United States Paul Springer KO 1 (4), 0:47 1995-08-15 United States Arizona Charlie's, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 9–0 United States Doug Norris KO 2 (4), 1:19 1995-07-28
Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Win 8–0 Mexico Rogelio Ramirez KO 1 (4) 1995-06-18 United States Las Cruces, New Mexico
Win 7–0 United States James Robinson TKO 2 (4) 1995-04-21 United States Lansing, Michigan
Win 6–0 United States Jerry Michelson KO 1 (4) 1995-04-15 United States Owensboro, Kentucky
Win 5–0 United States Alvin Ellis TKO 1 (4) 1995-03-24 United States Detroit, Michigan
Win 4–0 Mexico Juan Ramon Perez UD 4 1995-03-11 United States Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Win 3–0 United States Ed Barry PTS 6 1995-03-01 United States Saginaw, Michigan
Win 2–0 United States Doug Norris TKO 4 (4) 1994-11-30
New Orleans, Louisiana
Win 1–0 United States Tim Daniels PTS 4 1994-10-15 United States Birmingham, Alabama Professional debut.

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
3 wins (2 KOs), 4 losses, 0 draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2009-07-29 Win South Korea Moon Bo-Lam Moosin II
Seoul, South Korea
KO (right hook) 1 0:46 3–4
2008-08-09 Loss United States Wesley Correira
K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii
, Quarter Finals
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
KO (left high kick) 2 0:53 2–4
2005-07-29 Win United States Marcus Royster
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii
, Quarter Finals
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 2–3
2004-06-26 Loss Brazil Montanha Silva
K-1 Beast 2004 in Shizuoka
Shizuoka, Japan
Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 1–3
2004-03-14 Loss Japan Hiromi Amada
K-1 Beast 2004 in Niigata
Niigata, Japan
Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 1–2
2003-09-21 Loss South Africa Mike Bernardo
K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final
Yokohama, Japan
KO (right high kick) 2 1:01 1–1
2003-06-29 Win Japan Yusuke Fujimoto
K-1 Beast II 2003
Saitama, Japan
KO (left hook) 1 1:02 1–0
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
28 matches 17 wins 10 losses
By knockout 8 7
By submission 9 3
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 17–10–1 Sandy Bowman TKO (submission to punches) Prestige Fighting Championship 3 October 21, 2011 1 0:54 Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Loss 17–9–1 Eric Barrak Submission (guillotine choke) Instinct MMA 1 October 7, 2011 3 2:56 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 17–8–1 Dean Storey TKO (punches) Elite-1 MMA: Moncton May 7, 2011 2 0:20
Moncton, New Brunswick
, Canada
Wins the Elite-1 MMA Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 16–8–1 Deon West TKO (punches) LFC 43: Wild Thang December 10, 2010 2 5:00
Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
Loss 15–8–1 Mariusz Pudzianowski TKO (submission to punches) KSW 14: Judgment Day September 18, 2010 1 1:15 Łódź, Poland
Loss 15–7–1 Jeff Kugel TKO (submission to punches) Xtreme Cagefighting Championship 46: Beatdown at the Ballroom 9 March 6, 2010 1 0:40 Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States For the XCC Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 15–6–1 Chris Cruit Submission (rear-naked choke) Moosin: God of Martial Arts December 11, 2009 1 1:38 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Win 14–6–1 Tom Howard Submission (neck crank) Extreme Cage Fighting September 9, 2009 1 1:40 Laredo, Texas, United States
Win 13–6–1 Jefferson Hook TKO (punches) Lockdown in Lowell June 26, 2009 1 ?:?? Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 12–6–1 Pat Smith TKO (submission to punches) YAMMA Pit Fighting April 11, 2008 1 3:17 Atlantic City, New Jersey. United States
Loss 12–5–1 Nick Penner Submission (kimura) The Fight Club: First Blood December 28, 2007 1 2:28 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win 12–4–1 Tom Howard Submission (armlock) The Final Chapter MMA December 1, 2007 1 4:47 Jasper, Alabama, United States
Win 11–4–1 Pete Sischo Submission (americana) Combat Warfare X October 13, 2007 3 2:35 United States
Loss 10–4–1 Tengiz Tedoradze TKO (punches) Cage Rage 22 July 14, 2007 1 4:26 London, England
Win 10–3–1 Zuluzinho Submission (americana) Pride 34 April 8, 2007 1 2:35
Saitama
, Japan
Win 9–3–1 James Thompson KO (punches) Cage Rage 20 February 10, 2007 1 0:43 London, England
Win 8–3–1 Charles Hodges KO (punch) Palace Fighting Championship: King of the Ring January 18, 2007 1 0:45 Lemoore, California, United States
Loss 7–3–1 Rob Broughton TKO (submission to punches) Cage Rage 19 December 9, 2006 2 3:43 London, England
Win 7–2–1 Sean O'Haire KO (punches) Pride 32 - The Real Deal October 21, 2006 1 0:29 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 6–2–1 Ikuhisa Minowa Submission (armbar)
Pride - Bushido 12
August 26, 2006 1 4:25
Nagoya, Japan
Win 6–1–1 Rich Weeks Submission (choke) Fightfest 5: Korea vs. USA July 15, 2006 1 1:29 McAllen, Texas, United States
Win 5–1–1 Matt Eckerle TKO (submission to punches) Fightfest 4 May 20, 2006 1 0:56 Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win 4–1–1 Aaron Aguilera Submission (rear-naked choke) Rumble on the Rock 9 April 21, 2006 2 1:15
Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
Win 3–1–1 Leo Sylvest Submission (rear-naked choke) Fightfest 2: Global Domination April 14, 2006 1 0:35 Canton, Ohio, United States
Win 2–1–1 Wesley Correira TKO (doctor stoppage) Rumble on the Rock 8 January 20, 2006 2 5:00
Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
Correira broke his arm.
Win 1–1–1 Walley Keenboom Submission Fightfest 1: Royce Gracie Fightfest December 9, 2005 1 2:37 Evansville, Indiana, United States
Draw 0–1–1 Michael Buchkovich Draw KOTC 48: Payback February 25, 2005 2 5:00
Cleveland, Ohio
, United States
Loss 0–1 Genki Sudo Submission (heel hook) K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!! December 31, 2003 2 0:41 Nagoya, Japan

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External links

Preceded by
Ed White
IBA super heavyweight champion
April 12, 1997 – 2000 (vacated)
Succeeded by