How ‘Bang’ Met Bas: Rutten Took Photo of Ludwig & Peter Aerts

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Duane “Bang” Ludwig, on “Beatdown,” discussing how he met Bas Rutten:

“The first time I met Bas was in ’97. It was at the Mirage Hotel at the first K-1 event. I was there a bit early in the morning and I seen Bas in the lobby and my dad took a picture of us. I was like, ‘Oh sweet.’ My dad took off and then I was just hanging around, just kind of waiting to meet fighters and stuff. Bas was hanging around as well. Who he was waiting for was Peter Aerts. Peter Aerts comes down the elevator, gets off. I’m like, ‘S--t, I want to get a picture of Peter Aerts too,’ but nobody else was around to take the photo. I didn’t even ask. Bas didn’t ask -- he just took the camera from me and took the photo of Peter Aerts and I. I thought that was the coolest s--t in the world right there and I wanted to make sure that point stuck in my mind, and it did, to make sure I’m just as cool with every other fan and everyone else I meet because that’s what Bas did with me, and that’s just what good human beings should do anyway.”

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