Paul Varelans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paul Varelans |
|
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1969 Sunnyvale, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 2021 (aged 51) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Other names | The Polar Bear |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 300 lb (140 kg; 21 st) |
| Style | Boxing, Wrestling, Trappfighting, Judo |
| Fighting out of | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Years active | 1995–1998 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 18 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 9 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
Paul Varelans (born September 17, 1969 – died January 16, 2021) was an American professional mixed martial artist. He was known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 1995 to 1996. He also took part in a special event for Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1996. People sometimes called him "The Polar Bear" because of his large size.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Paul Varelans grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska. He went to West Valley High School there. Later, he attended San Jose State University. While in college, he played football. He also joined the boxing club, where he trained until 1991.
Professional Fighting Career
Paul Varelans began his career in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 1995. He quickly became known for his powerful style.
UFC Debut and Early Fights
Varelans made his first appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship at Ultimate Fighting Championship 6: Clash of the Titans. This event took place on July 14, 1995. In his first fight, he won by knockout against Cal Worsham. This was a strong start to his UFC journey.
He continued to compete in several UFC tournaments. He reached the semi-finals of UFC 6 and UFC 8. He also made it to the final of the UFC 7 tournament.
Other Competitions
Paul Varelans also competed in other fighting organizations. In 1996, he had a special match in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). This was a pre-arranged fight against ECW star Taz. Varelans also fought in Japan for an event called Kingdom in 1997.
He competed in the International Fighting Championship (IFC) and the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC). In both of these tournaments, he reached the semi-final rounds.
Later Life and Passing
In December 2020, news came out that Paul Varelans had become very sick. He had caught COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state). His condition became serious, and he was placed on a mechanical ventilation machine. Doctors then put him into an induced coma to help him recover.
Sadly, Paul Varelans passed away on January 16, 2021. He was 51 years old when he died in Atlanta, Georgia.
Achievements and Awards
Paul Varelans achieved several notable things during his fighting career:
- International Fighting Championship
- He was a semi-finalist in the IFC Kombat in Kyiv tournament.
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- He was a finalist in the UFC 7 tournament.
- He reached the semi-finals in both the UFC 6 and UFC 8 tournaments.
- World Vale Tudo Championship
- He was a semi-finalist in the WVC 5 tournament.
See also
- List of deaths due to COVID-19
