13 of the most humongous fighters in MMA history

#8 Eric Esch

The nickname and he were meant to be

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 193 Kg

Pro-wrestling fans will remember Eric “Butterbean” Esch as Vince McMahon’s retribution against 1999 “Brawl For All” turncoat Bart Gunn. The comically rotund boxer, dressed in Old Glory trunks, wiped the bemused looks off everyone’s faces with a swift and violent KO of the tag team specialist.

Esch parlayed gory underground success on the Toughman scene and 4-rounders into a pro-boxing career. He possibly holds the record for the longest IBA Super Heavyweight title reign, with 51 defenses. Butterbean’s boxing matches were crowd-pullers and he soon went hunting for new lands to conquer.

Naturally, a kickboxing and MMA career followed.

Butterbean’s ease in front of the camera landed him a TV show which chronicled him on the job as a reserve deputy sheriff in his native Jasper, Alabama. He even knocked out Johnny Knoxville in “Jackass” and cameoed in many TV shows. Unironically, he got his nickname because he went on a diet of chicken and butterbeans to make the Toughman weight limit of 400 lbs.