Eric Scott Esch is an American retired professional boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and television personality. He was also referred to as the King of the 4 Rounders during his boxing career.
Ordinary people like us would have been happy if we had one good ability. However, Eric Butterbean is not an ordinary man.
The 57-year-old is one of the pioneers in combat sports who has made a name for himself in various sports like boxing, MMA, wrestling, and kickboxing.
The multimillion-dollar boxing fight between then UFC Lightweight and Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor and undefeated Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
This kind of fight was only possible because pioneers like Eric Butterbean tested the water of switching between combat sports way back in the early 2000s.
Boxing legend Butterbean, who once scaled around 500 lb., cut his weights drastically in 2022.
We have tried to squeeze in as much information regarding Butterbean’s early life and career in this article.
You will also find details about his net worth, wife, kids, record, age, and social media. But first, let’s look at the quick facts table, shall we?
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Eric Scott Esch |
| Birth Date | August 3, 1966 |
| Birth Place | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nick Name | Butterbean |
| Religion | Religion |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not available |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Father’s Name | Not available |
| Mother’s Name | Not available |
| Siblings | Not available |
| Age | 57 Years Old |
| Height | 5 ’11″/1.80 m/180 cm |
| Weight | 171 kg/378 lb. |
| Hair Color | Blade |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Net Worth | $500,000 |
| Married | Yes |
| Wife | Libby Gaskin |
| Children | Yes |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Arts, Media Personality |
| Reach | 78 inch (198 cm) |
| Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing | |
| Team | Tristar Gym |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Fighting Record | 97–24–5 |
| Active Year | 1994-2013 |
| Retired Year | 2013 |
| Social Media | |
| Last Update | November, 2023 |
Early Life
Eric Scott Esch, more commonly known as Eric Butterbean, was born to his parents on August 3, 1966, in Atlanta, Georgia. But, sadly, we could not find any details about his parents.
Moving on, Butterbean’s life was extremely tough throughout his childhood. To explain, young Eric never had a stable home as he frequently had to switch houses.
Eric’s mother died when he was only eight years old, further adding to his miseries. And if that wasn’t enough, the poor kid was frequently bullied at school for being overweight.
Thus, to vent out all his frustrations, the Georgia native started taking boxing lessons. As a matter of fact, Butterbean even won a local Toughman Contest, which gave him the confidence to pursue a career in combat sports.
Age, Height & Body Measurements
Being born in 1966 makes Eric 57 years old.
Moreover, Butterbean’s recorded height is 5 feet 11 inches (1.82 meters), while his last known weight was 193 kg (425 pounds).
The Georgia native was one of the heaviest fighters during his career. Thus his weight should come as no surprise.
Career
Butterbean is a man with loads of talent incorporated within him. Hence, the 57-year-old participated in almost all the professional combat sports present at the time. Notably, Eric has fought in boxing, MMA, kickboxing, and wrestling.
So, first, let’s talk about the sport Esch began his professional career with, boxing. The 5 feet 11 (1.80 meters) heavyweight started fighting in 1994 and enjoyed a successful career.
Most notably, Eric won the IBA Super Heavyweight Championship in 1997 and defended his title five times before losing in 2000. He also got the nickname ‘King of the 4 Rounders’ as most of his bouts were scheduled for just 4 rounds.
Eric Butterbean vs. Larry Holmes
His most famous fight has to be against the great Larry Holmes. Although Holmes was at the end of his glorious career, he still managed to beat Butterbean.
Moreover, the fight was also Eric’s first 10-round bout. Fatigue certainly played a part in the 57-year-old’s loss.
Nonetheless, at the end of his boxing career, Eric had 77 wins, 10 losses, and four draws. 58 of those 77 victories had come via knockout, highlighting Butterbean’s punching power.
Kickboxing Career
Talking about his kickboxing career, Esch started his venture into the sport in 2003. However, the 57-year-old remained in this sport for only two years.
The main reason is, Butterbean found it extremely difficult to adapt to a sport that was exactly the opposite of boxing.
As a result, the Atlanta native finished his two years in the K-1 promotion with a record of 3 wins and 4 losses. Nevertheless, Eric did have some memorable moments during his time with K-1.
Butterbean won his debut fight in K-1 with a knockout in the first round against Yusuke Fujimoto in 2003 and won his last ever kickboxing match in 2005 against Moon-Bi Lam in the very first round.
MMA Career
Moving onto his MMA career, Butterbean had a respectable record of 17 wins, 10 losses, and a draw.
But his foray into the MMA world did not begin smoothly as he lost his first fight and then drew his second.
Thus, having started on a high note, the pressure was on the Atlanta native to deliver as per the spectators’ expectations. And that was what Esch did as he won his next six bouts taking his record to 6-1-1.
Furthermore, Butterbean also fought in the former MMA giant Pride Fighting Championship.
He appeared in the last-ever event organized by Pride FC in 2007, a fight Eric won via submission in the first round.
Professional Wrestling
Butterbean was also seen performing as a professional wrestler. Eric first made his appearance in 1997 in WWF (now WWE), defeating former Golden Gloves champion Marc Mero.
After that, Esch fought again in 1999 at WrestleMania XV, knocking out Brawl for All champion Bart Gunn in just 36 seconds.
What’s even more impressive is that the fight was legitimate, unlike the WWE’s scripted fights.
Butterbean took a decade-long hiatus before making a comeback in 2009. Soon after, Eric won his first professional wrestling title as he defeated Trent Acid for the Pro Wrestling Syndicate Heavyweight title.
After that, the Atlanta native fought in several more fights before eventually retiring in 2012.
Media Appearances
Besides being a professional boxer, Eric is involved in different media presents. He has appeared in different films, Television, Radio, and Video Games.
Butterbean has played in different films. To sum up, he has appeared in movies like Jackass: The Movie, Chairman of the Board, etc.
Likewise, he has also appeared in various TV shows. To name a few of them: Adult Swim’s Squidbillies, Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, Friends of the People, etc.
The retired MMA has also appeared as a playable character in EA sports boxing games video in the knockout series.
Boxing Record
Butterbean was one of the early pioneers who moved between various combat sports and gathered a combined record of 97 wins, 24 losses, and 5 draws.
However, if you want to know his career record and stats in individual sports, don’t worry, as we have covered them.
Eric fought an incredible 91 times in boxing, amassing 77 wins, 10 losses, and four draws.
Furthermore, the professional boxer fought seven times in kickboxing, eventually finishing with three wins and four losses.
Professional Career Stats
| 91 fights | 77 wins | 10 losses |
| By knockout | 58 | 2 |
| By decision | 19 | 8 |
| Draws | 4 | |
Weight Loss
After his professional career, his weight ballooned to 500 pounds. After his retirement, with less physical activities, he struggled to cope with life outside of the ring.
The 57-year-old was offered to fight Mike Tyson in 2020 after Mike came out of retirement. But the fight did not happen due to Eric’s physical and mental condition. Eric was battling with weight gain and depression.
The retired boxer decided to lose weight and lead a healthy life. So, he participated in a TV documentary with Page, a famous wrestler who helped celebrities to lose weight.
As his chance to fight the Iron Mike slipped away, and after cutting down on weights, he is looking forward to fighting against a loudmouth YouTuber Jake Paul. We might see Eric return to the ring in the near future, fighting against Jake.
Net Worth And Career Earnings
As of 2023, Butterbean has a net worth of $500,000 accrued through his career as an MMA fighter, professional boxer, and kickboxer. Eric had fought for over 19 years to muster up that amount.
Although Eric might be long retired, he is still involved in business activities. For example, Eric owns a restaurant in Alabama called Mr. Bean BBQ, which further adds to his earnings.
Likewise, the professional Boxer owns a lavish house with various cars. From this, we can assume that Eric is living a luxurious life at present.
Wife & Kids
Talking about his marriage, Eric is happily married to his wife, Libby Gaskin. It seems like the couple wants to keep their relationship extremely private, as there is no news regarding the subject.
The pair have been blessed with two sons, Brandon Esch and Caleb Esch, and a daughter, Grace Esch.
Their two sons have followed in the footsteps of their old man, as both of them are professional MMA fighters.
Social Media Presence
The retired professional boxer is available on Instagram using the handle @butterbeanboxer, where he posts pictures of him with his friends and family, and some throwbacks as well.
Instagram: 35.4k followers
Popularity
The 57-year-old gained popularity during his professional career as he embarked on different fight sports.
The above graph gives brief information about the popularity of Eric based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Net Worth of Eric?
Eric has an estimated net worth of $500 Thousand.
When did ButterBean retire from his Boxing Career?
He retired from his boxing career in the year 2013.
How tall is Eric Butterbean?
Eric stands at an outstanding height of 5 feet 11 in (1.80 m).
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