Fansided MMA
FanSided

The 10 best MMA fighters from the 1990s

By Chad Porto

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 06: Actor Bas Rutten arrives at the premiere of "The Zookeeper" at the Regency Village Theatre on July 6, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 06: Actor Bas Rutten arrives at the premiere of "The Zookeeper" at the Regency Village Theatre on July 6, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
(Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images) /

7. Minoru Suzuki

This may seem like an odd entry if you know anything about Minoru Suzuki today. Currently, a member of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the leader of the successful and popular Suzuki-Gun stable, the 53-year-old is a pro wrestling legend. Older MMA fans however will remember Suzuki for a whole nother reason; co-creating Pancrase.

Pancrase may have been the first MMA promotion in Japan that actually created stars and made the sport viable in the country. Guy Mezger, Ken and Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, and others from the 90s heyday of MMA got their start, cut their teeth, or found another gear because of their time in Pancrase.

With no Pancrase, there’d probably be no PRIDE, and if there’s no PRIDE, who knows what happens to MMA. Not only is Suzuki partially responsible for creating the organization and bringing these names to the forefront of the sport, but he also competed and did quite well.

The co-founder of Pancrase closed out the decade 25-18 with wins over Vernon White, Ken Shamrock, Mezger, and Rutten, while also claiming the King of Pancrase title.

His time in MMA was valuable and his contributions were little appreciated at the time, thankfully we can still appreciate his creativity and his skills today.