MMA History Podcast (TM): "Bart Vale" Deep Dive (Updated)

UltimateGround
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@Debraco
@MMAHistoryPodcast
Trying to Get Ken On for a 2nd Interview but Mike Needs Your Help XXOO

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@Debraco

Ken’s people called about the Bart Vale interview

Please… keep going ham on us in the comments

It is the only way that we are getting him again

  • I have a question that if answered properly it might embarrass one of the Alta guys
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Good to see @Debraco around.

Sounds like you are doing some good work keeping up as the human encyclopedia.

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I did not realize handsome was still on the show, started to think that @HongKongPhooey pushed him out of the way and took over that seat.

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@williepep
Were you in for a TEE Shirt ??
@MMAHistoryPodcast

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Willie
Send me your size and address

I can get it out on Monday

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What does he need?

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off to the comments…

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@MMAHistoryPodcast

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@Debraco Ken is supposed to call me next week
He is apparently pissed about the Bart Vale stuff… I had no idea that he would take it that way
lol

I would like to send you a short package

Send me anyone’s address with a shirt size and I will get it off to you

@williepep that goes for you as well

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very cool

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Is this like YAMMA where people get free shirts if they ask?

There’s a reason I have not done a post my shirts thread.

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Harry jerry beat the african baby huey from pillar to post before gassing. ABH also had the best cornerman ever to grace an octagonalish ring

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Bart Vale claimed to be the World Heavyweight Shootfighting Champion—a bold title in a time when MMA was still trying to define itself. With a mullet, a black belt in kenpo, and a knockout “win” over Ken Shamrock, he became one of the most visible faces in early MMA… without ever fighting in the UFC.

So who was Bart Vale, really?

In this video essay, we explore Vale’s unique journey through the murky world of 1990s combat sports—where the lines between real fighting and staged performance were anything but clear. From his roots in Ed Parker’s kenpo, to his time with catch wrestling legends like Karl Gotch and Masami Soranaka in Japanese pro wrestling (PWFG), Vale positioned himself as a true hybrid martial artist—part grappler, part striker, part showman.

He fought in events like Battlecade Extreme Fighting, the World Combat Championship, and K-1 Kickboxing against names like Andy Hug, Nobuaki Kakuda, and Dan Severn. He trained alongside respected figures like Gene LeBell, the Machado Brothers, and Philip Ameris. But many of his early “fights” were pro wrestling-style works, not actual competitions. Even his most famous moment—a head kick KO of Ken Shamrock—remains shrouded in doubt.

This video breaks down the man, the myth, and the marketing. We look at Bart Vale’s real fight record, his influence on the no holds barred era, and his place in MMA history.

If you caught our MMA History Podcast deep dive in Episode 273, you already know there’s more to Bart Vale than meets the eye. This video takes that story even further—with visuals, context, and a closer look at how hype, hustle, and martial arts collided in one unforgettable figure.

Whether you’re into catch wrestling, Vale Tudo, early jiu jitsu, BJJ, striking, grappling, WWE-style works, or just love the wild west days of mixed martial arts—this is one you won’t want to miss.

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u b the judge

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Looked like he had no idea what to do.

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I had an ISFA shirt in middle school. I liked the name.

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lol. Fake as fuck.

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I’ve been looking for the Vale vs Severn fight for years but I have come to the conclusion that no video exists of the fight.

Of course I would love to be proven wrong :wink:

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