"They have the UFC game, but on this particular game, you can actually learn. Your character gets better because they can travel the world and learn secret submissions from the Gracie Academy in Brazil, or go to Thailand and learn better clinching, and you can save those powers, and your character that you play with becomes a stronger fighter and that is really cool; that's the learning mode that they have on the game. You fight, you make money, and from the money that you make, you can buy airline tickets to fly over to different countries and train with other fighters and they make you better and you can perhaps win with that particular submission they taught you or that particular knee or striking combination. It's awesome," stated MMA legend Bas Rutten as talked about his work on the new EA Sports MMA video game and much more. Check it out!
PC: First and foremost, congratulations on your nomination as one of Dutch's top athletes. How did it feel to be selected?
BR: It was awesome, funny, almost embarrassing for me because I left a 3-time Gold medalist behind me and I figured they should have been in front of me. But I guess I have a lot of fans that wrote in and I appreciate that of course. Just the fact that I was nominated was enough for me.
PC: You have a ton of projects going on right now. You are the official host of the new EA Sports MMA game. How did that come about and was it enjoyable for you?
BR: I started out being a fighter on the game and we had to deliver some lines as a fighter, so I got in the studio and I got a little over the top. When I deliver my lines, I want to make them as good as they want them, so I gave them a lot of different ways and they enjoyed it so much, they said, "Man, we would love to have you as the host of the whole game." I said, "Why not!" So we ended up doing a bunch of different lines. It was actually a lot of work. I think I did 6 to 7 days of voiceovers and it was 8 hour days, so it was quite a job. It was a big thing though and it was a lot of fun to do.
PC: You are also featured as a fighter and a trainer on the game. Is the character anything like the El Guapo we have been accustomed to seeing?
BR: You know, from what I understand, if you fight with me, my character is a very strong character. They say that they give you a lot of power, so whoa, I'll take that. I think that is awesome. Yeah, I'm pretty cool in the game (laughing).
PC: EA Sports has been the pinnacle in the gaming department for years. What was it like working with them?
BR: It was awesome. These guys are really nice guys. They really take care of you and I really had a great time. I'm doing this because, you know, you really gotta like the people because you're working with them for 5 or 6 days constantly. You need to know what the other person wants and you can't be the guy that knows everything. Once you start playing the power trip, you're going to have problems, and I think they saw right from the beginning that they could point me in any direction and I could do whatever they wanted me to do.
PC: What better time for the arrival of this game, with MMA being so hot and it being the holiday season right now, right?
BR: There you go. They sent me a couple and I just got an email from my buddy in Holland because I sent one to his son. His son and my daughter have a long distance relationship; keep in mind they are 14 years old (laughing), but I'm all happy man because she isn't looking at any other boys. She's all in love. I said, "Man, if this continues on, I will pay for his trip to come out here on Prom night, and I will pay for his suit." You can't beat that. No other boys until that time; I'll take it.
PC: When you first got involved in the sport of mixed martial arts, it was unheard of to have a video game that supported the sport. How important is it for MMA to become integrated in the video game circuit to get kids and teenagers interested in the sport?
BR: I think it's great, and they have the UFC game, but on this particular game, you can actually learn. Your character gets better because they can travel the world and learn secret submissions from the Gracie Academy in Brazil, or go to Thailand and learn better clinching, and you can save those powers, and your character that you play with becomes a stronger fighter and that is really cool; that's the learning mode that they have on the game. You fight, you make money, and from the money that you make, you can buy airline tickets to fly over to different countries and train with other fighters and they make you better and you can perhaps win with that particular submission they taught you or that particular knee or striking combination. It's awesome!
PC: And you feel that's what separates this game from other martial arts games; that you have the ability to learn your craft through several outlets?
BR: Yeah! It's what they call "career mode" and the career mode separates itself from all of the other games out there.
PC: You will also be involved in a movie called "The Zookeeper." What can you tell us about that?
BR: I have this wonderful friend of mine, Kevin James, and he did the movie. The last movie of his, "Paul Blart Mall Cop", I was in that movie too, but for only about 5 seconds. I was supposed to be one of the bad guys, but I didn't have the time. I was so busy, so I said, "Man, let me read the script and maybe we can pick something out." We picked out something that was like one day of work for me and that was the drill instructor role. It was audio again. But I'm playing the wolf in this movie, where Kevin James' character can't talk to animals...and real animals. It's fun because you have Cher in it, and Adam Sandler is in it, and Stallone. A whole bunch of famous people are different animals and I am the wolf.
PC: Is it more difficult being used in the physical form of these movie sets or as a voiceover?
BR: The voiceovers aren't difficult at all. I'm very good at putting myself in different situations, like thinking what would I do if I was the lion in that particular situation. And of course, they feed you different situations and they may be like, "We kind of wanted it like this or this." Well, I can do it that way. I'm an easy person to work with. When I do it for Cartoon Network, they love it because I give them 20 different ways to deliver one line and they start playing with it and take the best one that fits what they are looking for.
PC: I always knew your character would prosper into big things. I couldn't think of a better person to garner all of this success. I wish you the best of luck with all of your endeavors. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
BR: Thank you and I just want to let everyone know that they can follow me on Twitter at @BasRuttenMMA, and there is a short movie coming out. I just had a meeting for that. I'm gonna run a beer stand. It's a really little, crazy and dark short movie. I really stepped out of my character for that one and it was a fun thing. We did some crazy stuff to make that character look really weird. I have The O2 Trainer, which will be coming out soon. It is an invention that I have been working on since I was a kid and finally I went for the patent. I have the patent and it's a training device that will make your lungs bigger and stronger. I think a lot of athletes are gonna use this little device. It works really good. I have high hopes for it. And then put that together with the Body Action System, which is selling really good now too; people realize it doesn't break. For now, that will be my plug...oh, and go to www.basrutten.com for all of the latest news. I just put a 6-page newsletter up from what I did in the last few months. It's always fun to post what I did on the road. I have a lot of stuff going on. I'm going to be in another movie and it's going to be a big one, so I'm looking forward to that. Slowly but surely, saying no to a lot of movies paid off (laughing). Now I can pick the good parts and it's going to be fun.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]