The Pasta & Performance Podcast

Founding a successful wellness business in your 20s | Vatche, Arman's performance therapist

It is not often that you meet a man in his 20s who has already built real success as a businessman, especially in a highly competitive environment like Los Angeles. Vache [https://www.instagram.com/vatche/] is one of those rare exceptions. After completing his university studies, he founded Muscle Lab [https://www.instagram.com/musclelab/], a performance and recovery center where he works with both professional and amateur athletes, focusing on mobility, recovery, and overall physical optimization. I was introduced to him through Arman Tsarukyan, with whom Vache has worked closely over the past three years. His client roster also includes high profile athletes and personalities such as Jake Paul. In this conversation, we discuss his early steps as an entrepreneur, the managerial decisions that shape a young business, the challenges of building credibility at a young age, and, in a lighter turn, Italian cuisine and his recent trip to Italy for a friend’s wedding. ----------------------------------------

When weight cutting is too much | Uroš Medić, UFC fighter

We sat down with UFC fighter Uroš Medić to explore his complex relationship with the 155 lb weight class and his evolution as a professional athlete. Uroš reflects on the early stages of his career, when fighting was not his full-time profession and training, nutrition, and physical development were less structured. That changed in 2020, after earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Following the move to California and his commitment to training at Kings MMA, his workload, strength training, and overall performance level increased, long with his natural bodyweight. Despite becoming stronger and more muscular, Uroš continued to push to make 155 pounds for several fights, until the cuts were no longer manageable. This ultimately led to his transition to the 170 lb division. Throughout the conversation, Uroš shares insights into his diet, training approach, setbacks inside the octagon, cultural influences in fighting, and the business realities of being a UFC athlete, highlighting the importance of adaptation, self-awareness, and personal growth in a high-level MMA career.

Khamzat's fight camp with my first intern | David Papyan

I sat down with David Papyan [https://www.instagram.com/chefpapyan/] to explore the intersection of sports nutrition and culinary excellence in his internship at CapoNutrition. We recounted the rigorous journey leading up to a UFC title fight, sharing insights into the demanding world of MMA and the art of crafting performance-based meals. Together, we dove into the cultural nuances of Italian and Armenian cuisines, offering insights into the life of a performance nutritionist dedicated to fueling champions.

Coaching wrestling in high school | Matt Alfonte

I caught up with Matt Alfonte [https://www.instagram.com/125lbchamp/], a former wrestler, amateur MMA fighter, and high school wrestling coach from Orange County. I’ve known Matt for about ten years, ever since he was part of the first MMA team that Marvin Vettori joined when he arrived in the U.S. We shared some memories from those early days, talked about the team environment, and reflected on how things used to be before the UFC. Later in the conversation, we dug into Matt’s experience coaching high school athletes and explored the controversial practice of cutting weight—how it’s handled, what’s changed, and what still needs work. A conversation filled with stories, insights, and a look behind the curtain of youth wrestling culture

Edmen Shahbazyan | Weight-cut struggles, traveling to Italy

In this episode, I sit down with UFC middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan to explore the mental challenges of cutting weight and how the mind can play tricks on us under pressure. We dive into the psychological aspects of maintaining focus and discipline during such a demanding process. Edmen also shares his recent experiences in Italy, particularly when it came to navigating the local cuisine. As he prepares for his upcoming fight on August 24th against Gerald Meerschaert, we get an inside look at how he balances his preparation.