Paul Varelans in ICU with COVID-19

6′ 8″ and 300 pound Paul “The Polar Bear” Varelans is an MMA pioneer, fighting 18 times from 1995 to 1998, in the NHB, spectacle days of the sport. Now multiple reliable reports have emerged on the social network that he contracted COVID-19 and is in a medically induced coma, and on a ventilator.

The fighter first reported on Facebook that he had contracted the virus:
12/12: So its official I am COVID-19 positive. And feel like hell.
12/13: Best way I can compare the feel of COVID-19 in my experiance is it’s like fighting a guy who specializes in kidney punches they never stop coming.
12/14: Now for food pangs I’d kill for candied salmon WTF. 

He was at some point thereafter transported to the hospital, and his condition is grim, as detailed below.

Shane Viens
COVID has taken a couple people in my life so far. It’s been difficult to face to say the least. 
Now it’s after one of my best friends, my brother, big Paul Varelans. This can not stand. You may know he is very sick, but what you don’t know is that as of Tuesday he is in a medically induced coma at the ICU in Emory Midtown in Atlanta Georgia. He isn’t breathing on his own. They have the big man on a ventilator. I’m beside myself with worry. 
I don’t want, I NEED you to support our guy any way you can. Fairbanks, Alaska your hometown boy is hurting in a fight that he can not quit. MMA family, he needs you now more than ever. Our brother has been taken down, let’s find some way to show him we care.
Pray, write, support… do whatever you can please. I can not lose him to this. We can not lose him. Love you forever and a day Paulie. You can do this. 

Varelans fought globally in all the main centers of the sport at the time – the USA, Brazil, Japan, Holland, and Ukraine. He fought a number of the top heavyweights at the time including Tank Abbott, Carlos Barreto, Mark Kerr, Kimo Leopoldo, Marco Ruas, Dan Severn, and Igor Vovchanchyn. He never fought in PRIDE FC, as it was a baby then (Varelans retired less than four months after PRIDE 1 and before PRIDE 2), but he hit all the big shows including the UFC, IFC, Extreme Challenge, Pancrase, Rings, and WVT. “The Polar Bear” retired from fighting with a KO win over Dick Vrij.

At just 51 years old, he’s now in the fight of his life. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.