Ken Shamrock, the World’s Most Dangerous Man and founder and owner of Valor Bare Knuckle Inc. (VBK™), presented the premiere Valor Bare Knuckle event on Saturday, Sept. 21, live on Pay-Per-View.
VBK: 1 sold out the Events Center inside 4 Bears Casino & Lodge in North Dakota and earned respect from combat sports fans worldwide for its non-stop fast-paced action inside “The Pit.”
“Our fights had it all for Valor Bare Knuckle’s inaugural event. The sold-out crowd was absolutely thrilled and electrified with our bare knuckle bouts, and most definitely with the Mark Godbeer KO, which became a viral sensation.”
Ken Shamrock
In the first bracket of the one-night, four-man heavyweight tournament, British fighter Mark “Hand Of” Godbeer delivered a stunning, show-stopping knockout, defeating fellow UFC veteran Jack May in just 50 seconds.
In the second bracket of the tournament, K-1 kickboxing legend “Mighty Mo” overpowered Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, stopping him at 1:26 of the third round via TKO.From there, it was off to the championship finals, where Godbeer defeated Mighty Mo via first-round knockout in less than three minutes (2:56) to become the first Valor Bare Knuckle heavyweight champion.
VBK: 1 also featured the debut of former world champion boxer Ishe Smith, who scored a three-round unanimous decision over MMA veteran Estevan Payan via scores of 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
In another clash between UFC veterans, heavy-handed Lavar Johnson defeated James McSweeney by way of first-round knockout in a heavyweight alternate bout.
Also on the live Pay-Per-View broadcast, a heated exchange between Mike Richman and JC Llamas took place after their bout was declared a no contest due to an accidental head butt. The pair continued to quarrel after the fight, setting up a must-see rematch on a VBK card in the near future.
In undercard action, Chris Jensen defeated John Carmona via TKO at 2:42 of the first round and Joshua Dyer knocked out Dane Sayers at 2:22 of the first round, completing a night of fights that thrilled viewers, as well as the man who founded the promotion.
“It was hard to believe this vision I’ve had for so long was playing out right in front of me,” said Shamrock. “It was a very emotional moment for my family and me, and I have never been a part of something this exciting. I want to thank the VBK team for the hard work, and especially the VBK fighters for putting it all on the line and giving the fans an experience they will never forget. Valor Bare Knuckle is here, and it’s here to stay.”
Joining Shamrock at Pit-side was fellow UFC Hall of Famer (and the first UFC welterweight champion), Pat Miletich, who served as part of the commentary team for VBK: 1.
“The VBK: 1 Pay-Per-View event delivered more than I could have imagined,” said Miletich. “The fighters not only wowed the fans and surpassed everyone’s expectations, but they delivered the kind of shock and awe that we saw in the early days of No Holds Barred and MMA.”
But there was more, as the event drew rave reviews from the fans in attendance, on social media, and influential analysts such as Brendan Schaub, who praised the event on the September 23 edition of his hit YouTube show, Below the Belt.
“Is this Jean-Claude Van Damme in Lionheart…this is fantastic,” exclaimed Schaub upon review of VBK: 1. “Godbeer is a savage; he was born for this. I want to see Godbeer versus Lavar Johnson. I am all in on this. I have zero complaints. Is anyone else not impressed by this? Name something that was more exciting this weekend. When is the next one?”
To watch the replay of VBK: 1, visit FITE.TV and order via on-demand or check Pay-Per-View channel listings with your local cable provider, as airings are scheduled throughout the month.
