Dan talks about his toughest opponent in amateur wrestling, Olympic champ and 5x world champ, Leri Khabelov.

Dan Severn is a UFC Hall of Famer, a legend in combat sports with more than 4 decades of wrestling and fighting under his belt; we talk about fighting, kids, competition, technology, amateur wrestling, Leri Khabelov, beating a man he couldn't beat, UFC, Royce Gracie, no holds barred fighting, etc.

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There are times that you are going to step into a on the mat or in a cage or in a ring With someone that you know who is better than what you are And that's where you have to rise to the occasion and you will have to impose Your will upon them.

I only believe in I always hear all these coaches, you gotta give me a hundred 10 percent, you gotta give me a hundred 50 percent.

There's only a hundred percent and that's when you give your maximum effort and there's a hundred 1 when you went beyond your capabilities.

Who was the toughest guy you've ever faced in amateur wrestling?

Tell you right now, his name was Larry Habiloff, 4 time world champion.

Yeah, wasn't, I think he only won 1 or 2 at that point in time.

And I knew I was walking into a match that he's better than me.

Because the moment I can wear him out, I will be able to start scoring points.

So literally in the match, I knew that I was gonna be losing.

of this match, I did not know how I was gonna be losing, but he had me probably, I don't know, 5678 points to nothing.

By the time, fatigue, each time we went out of bounds, I'm the guy that's hustling back to the center.

Referees, and again, that's kind of that psychological aspect because the referee sees, oh, world champions kind of moving a little slow back right there.

I'm getting on him, and now I'm the first guy to advance across his match, and I score the first point.

Then I score the second point and we're getting closer

and closer and the fact that I tie him and then I'm ahead of him and just, not only did I beat him once, I beat him a couple times.

And the toughest 1 is to beat him in his own home country and his hometown in front of his people because you've heard

You think I was being screwed over by points like this being in Russia?

didn't just beat him, I beat him and 3 referees.

Because you have your main referee, a sondeman, and you have 2 side judges, and half the time things are taking place, They don't even want to look because they don't want to acknowledge and have to score me points.

I beat him, I imposed my will upon him and I beat him because technically could


Speaker 0: There are times that you are going to step into a on the mat or in a cage or in a ring With someone that you know who is better than what you are And that's where you have to rise to the occasion and you will have to impose Your will upon them. Yes. Now. I only believe in I always hear all these coaches, you gotta give me a hundred 10 percent, you gotta give me a hundred 50 percent. That is bullshit.

There's only a hundred percent and that's when you give your maximum effort and there's a hundred 1 when you went beyond your capabilities. Yes. Who was the toughest guy you've ever faced in amateur wrestling? Tell you right now, his name was Larry Habiloff, 4 time world champion. He was Russian?

Yeah, wasn't, I think he only won 1 or 2 at that point in time. And I knew I was walking into a match that he's better than me. And I only have 1 thing that I

Speaker 1: can do to him is

Speaker 0: that I have to wear him out. Because the moment I can wear him out, I will be able to start scoring points. So literally in the match, I knew that I was gonna be losing. For how long

Speaker 1: of this match, I did not know how I was gonna be losing, but he had me probably, I don't know, 5678 points to nothing. By the time, fatigue, each time we went out of bounds, I'm the guy that's hustling back to the center. Referees, and again, that's kind of that psychological aspect because the referee sees, oh, world champions kind of moving a little slow back right there.

Speaker 0: I'm getting on him, and now I'm the first guy to advance across his match, and I score the first point. And it's firing the fuel into me. Then I score the second point and we're getting closer

Speaker 1: and closer and the fact that I tie him and then I'm ahead of him and just, not only did I beat him once, I beat him a couple times. And the toughest 1 is to beat him in his own home country and his hometown in front of his people because you've heard

Speaker 0: the expression of being hovered? You think I was being screwed over by points like this being in Russia? Being in

Speaker 1: his hometown? I said that I

Speaker 0: didn't just beat him, I beat him and 3 referees. Because you have your main referee, a sondeman, and you have 2 side judges, and half the time things are taking place, They don't even want to look because they don't want to acknowledge and have to score me points. So that's why I said I beat him,

Speaker 1: I beat him, I imposed my will upon him and I beat him because technically could

Speaker 0: I beat him? Nope. I imposed my will. I rose to occasion. I gave a hundred and 1 percent.

You beat a man you couldn't beat. Exactly.

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Dan Severn on Beating a Man He Couldn't Beat | Take It Uneasy Podcast