Chris Lytle and his #LytesOut Podcast team of Mike Davis and Miguel Iturrate get together for another of their interview series, this time with MMA pioneer Paul Varelans.
Varelans list of opponents reads like an early who's who of "NHB" history as he has faced the likes of "Tank" Abbott, Marco Ruas, Igor Vovchanchin, Mark Kerr and Carlos Barreto just to name a few.
"The Polar Bear" was in Atlanta and he continued to follow the sport of MMA. We found him ready to share his memories. A unique interview with an unsung hero of our great sport.
0:00 Podcast Intro
0:19 Guest Intro
3:43 Interview start 4:23 Trap fighting?
5:15 Paul's UFC opportunity
8:45 Intro to UFC 6 eight-man tournament
9:50 Quarterfinal: Paul
Varelans vs Cal Worsham
11:12 Female in Paul's corner...
Becky Levi?
14:31 Semifinal: Paul Varelans
vs Tank Abbott
15:36 Fighters vs athletes
17:12 Female fighters
18:53 Training progression,
Muay Thai Leg kicks,
Paul Varelans vs Marco
Ruas at UFC 7
21:43 Overrun PPV time slot,
Bob Meyrowitz story
24:33 Experience with Michael
25:52 Paul Varelans vs Igor
Vovchanchyn at IFC 1
29:46 Post-Soviet Ukraine
35:05 Experience w/
Frederico Lapenda
37:45 Paul Varelans vs Mark
Kerr at WVC 3
39:46 Unified Rules and 265
HW limit
41:12 Prize money and the NHB
era
43:43 Thoughts on Mark
Coleman vs Mark Kerr
44:50 Mental game and Ken vs
Tito
46:02 training: w/ Brian Johnston James "Brewster"
47:55 Pro-wrestling match with Taz
48:39 ECW, Paul Heyman, and Missy Hyatt
53:41 Thoughts on Owen Hart,
Vince McMahon
55:29 Paul Varelans vs Ryushi
Yanagisawa in Pancrase 59:26 Thoughts on John McCarthy, Cal Worsham,
1:00:06 Frederico Lapenda, Harold Howard, Art Davie, 1:02:09 Oleg Taktarov, Kimo Leopoldo, Tank Abbott,
1:04:01 Dudleys, Ken & Frank
Shamrock,
1:06:36 Sabu, Missy Hyatt
1:07:23 Paul Varelans vs Joe
Moreira
1:08:42 Thoughts on Joe Son, Gerard Gordeau,
1:10:31 Yuki Nakai, Rickson Gracie, Fixed fights
1:12:18 Experience in Roppongi, Tokyo
1:15:14 Plugs and podcasts
1:16:16 Thoughts on Dana
White
1:17:29 ONE Championship
1:19:37 The state of MMA
promotions and talent
1:25:04 Thoughts on John
Lober
1:27:46 Interview wrap up
Interview Taped (August of 2020)
R.I.P. Paul Varelans, gone but not forgotten. (September 17th, 1969 – January 16th, 2021)
Lost to COVID.
Like and subscribe to the #LytesOut Podcast.
You can find our long form #DEEPDIVE interviews under the #LytesOut Podcast on Itunes, Spotify and Amazon.
More great, short clips from our full length #DEEPDIVE interviews -
Regrouping after UFC 2 & NOT Hiding form Critics - Fred Ettish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFLDBNq-FgI
Monson Recalls UFC 29 Mayhem at the Weigh-ins - Jeff Monson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br5V1teBaMA
SPEEDOGATE "Dana Gave Me A Performance Bonus" / Brian Ebersole -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apO66f5XjC8
Follow the #LOP team on Instagram:
Chris - @chrislightsoutlytle
Mike - @mikedavis632
Miguel - @iturratem
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