Jamie Varner - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

James Christopher Varner (born October 12, 1984) is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting

World Extreme Cagefighting

World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...

. He is a former WEC

World Extreme Cagefighting

Lightweight

Lightweight (MMA)

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...

champion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Varner competed twice in the UFC. His first appearance was against lightweight veteran Hermes Franca

Hermes Franca

Hermes França Barros is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes as a lightweight.-Early career:França made his professional MMA debut in November 2001. He quickly earned an undefeated streak of 6-0, drawing the attention of the UFC.-First UFC run:...

, which Varner lost via submission (armbar). His final appearance was against Jason Gilliam, which he won via submission (rear naked choke). After this win, Varner transferred to the WEC.

World Extreme Cagefighting

Varner successfully defended his WEC Lightweight Championship belt against the previously undefeated Marcus Hicks

Marcus Hicks

Marcus Dewayne Hicks is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight.-World Extreme Cagefighting:...

on August 3, 2008.

He retained his title on January 25, 2009 against Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone

Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...

at WEC 38

WEC 38

WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 25, 2009. It aired live on the Versus Network....

. The fight was highly competitive and won the Fight of the Night award. However, the fight was stopped prematurely in the fifth round when Cerrone hit Varner's temple with an illegal knee while Varner was still on the ground. Varner was given time to recover, but he was unable to continue, noting that he had double vision and had sustained a broken hand.

The controversial nature of the stoppage and many fans' disapproval of the result tarnished Varner's reputation as a tough fighter. The months following led to potential rematch opportunities which never occurred, amidst speculation that Varner was avoiding the fight and exaggerating an array of injuries that preceded the Cerrone match. This, as well as Varner's subsequent inability to perform since the Cerrone fight (despite Cerrone's ability to do the contrary), led the WEC to set up an interim title bout between Cerrone and Henderson. Henderson defeated Cerrone via unanimous decision to win the WEC Interim Lightweight Championship.

Jamie Varner was defeated by fighter Ben Henderson

Ben Henderson (fighter)

Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...

with a guillotine choke on January 10, 2010 at WEC 46

WEC 46

WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 10, 2010. It took place at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.-Background:...

to unify the WEC Lightweight Championship.

Varner was expected to face Kamal Shalorus

Kamal Shalorus

Kamal Shalorus is an Iranian-British professional mixed martial artist. He currently fights in UFC's lightweight division.-Early life:Born in the city of Khalkhal in northern Iran, Shalorus began wrestling as a teenager in Iran before beginning training in Turkey and Russia at the age of 17...

on April 24, 2010 at WEC 48

WEC 48

UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber, also referred to as WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California...

, but the bout was called off due to an injury sustained by Shalorus. Varner/Shalorus was then rescheduled for June 20, 2010 at WEC 49

WEC 49

WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on June 20, 2010 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-Background:...

. The match ended in a decision for a draw, which many believe was the worst judges decision in MMA history and feel Varner clearly won the fight, even without the point deduction.
Varner faced Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone

Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...

in their highly anticipated rematch on September 30, 2010 at WEC 51

WEC 51

WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on September 30, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was the first that the WEC hosted in Colorado.-Background:...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Varner faced Shane Roller

Shane Roller

Shane Derrick Roller is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

on December 16, 2010 at WEC 53

WEC 53

WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona...

. He lost via submission in the first round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Post Zuffa

In his first post-Zuffa fight, Varner fought Tyler Combs for XFO and won via submission in the first round. He was also in negotiations for a possible fight against Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki

is a Japanese mixed martial artist, grappler, and former police trainee who is noted for being the DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion. Aoki holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Yuki Nakai, as well as a black belt in judo. He is one of the most prominent...

at the end of May 2011, but the bout did not materialize.

Varner headlined Titan Fighting Championships 20

Titan Fighting Championships 20

Titan FC 20: Rogers vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event being by Titan Fighting Championships on Friday, September 23, 2011 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.-Background:Jamie Varner vs...

against late replacement Dakota Cochrane on September 23, and also headlined XFC 14 against Nate Jolly on October 21 in which he completely dominated, winning by a first round knockout.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
|Win
|align=center|18-6-1 (2)
|Nate Jolly
|KO (punches)
|XFC 14 Resurrection
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:09
|Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

Titan Fighting Championships 20

Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...

, U.S.
|Return to Lightweight.
|-
|Win
|align=center|17-5-1 (2)
|Tyler Combs
|Technical Submission (north-south choke)
|Xtreme Fighting Organization 39
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:30
|Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...

, U.S.
|Welterweight bout
|-
|Loss
|align=center|16-5-1 (2)
|Shane Roller

Shane Roller

Shane Derrick Roller is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|WEC 53

WEC 53

Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

, U.S.
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|16-4-1 (2)
|Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone

Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...

|Decision (unanimous)
|WEC 51

WEC 51

Broomfield, Colorado

The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...

, U.S.
|Fight of the Night
|-
| Draw
|align=center|16-3-1 (2)
|Kamal Shalorus

Kamal Shalorus

|Draw
|WEC 49

WEC 49

WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on June 20, 2010 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-Background:...

Ben Henderson (fighter)

|Submission (guillotine choke)
|WEC 46

WEC 46

WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 10, 2010. It took place at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.-Background:...

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

, U.S.
|Lost WEC Lightweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|16-2 (2)
|Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone

Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...

|Technical Decision (split)
|WEC 38

WEC 38

WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 25, 2009. It aired live on the Versus Network....

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, U.S.
|Defended WEC Lightweight title. A grounded knee by Cerrone stopped the fight & went to the judges; Fight of the night.
|-
|Win
|align=center|15-2 (2)
|Marcus Hicks

Marcus Hicks

Marcus Dewayne Hicks is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight.-World Extreme Cagefighting:...

|TKO (punches)
|WEC 35

WEC 35

WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on August 3, 2008 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event drew an estimated 423,000 viewers on Versus...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, U.S.
| Defended WEC Lightweight title
|-
|Win
|align=center|14-2 (2)
|Rob McCullough

Rob McCullough

Robert Alexander McCullough IV is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was a five-time World Muay Thai Champion, and is a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He currently trains out of Huntington Beach, CA at HB Ultimate Training Center...

|TKO (punches)
|WEC 32

WEC 32

WEC 32: New Mexico was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on Wednesday, February 13, 2008. For the first time under Zuffa ownership, the show was held in Rio Rancho, New Mexico and not the usual spot of Las Vegas, Nevada...

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

, U.S.
| Won WEC Lightweight title
|-
|Win
|align=center|13-2 (2)
|Sherron Leggett
|TKO (punches and elbows)
|WEC 29

WEC 29

WEC 29: Condit vs. Larson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting. The event took place on Sunday, August 5, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event aired live on the Versus Network....

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|12-2 (2)
|Jason Gilliam
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC 68

UFC 68

UFC 68: The Uprising was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 3, 2007 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. UFC 68 was the first UFC event held in the state of Ohio, and coincided with the 2007 Arnold Sports Festival...

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, U.S.
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|11-2 (2)
|Hermes França

Hermes Franca

|Submission (armbar)
|UFC 62

UFC 62

UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.The main event was a Light...

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|11-1 (2)
|Leonard Wilson
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|RITC 78: Back with a Vengeance
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:07
|Glendale, Arizona

Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

, U.S.
|
|-
| NC
|align=center|10-1 (2)
|Tony Llamas
|No Contest
|KOTC: Arizona
|
|align=center|N/A
|align=center|N/A
|Globe, Arizona

Globe, Arizona

Globe has an arid climate, characterized by hot summers and moderate to warm winters. Globe's arid climate is somewhat tempered by its elevation, however, leading to slightly cooler temperatures and slightly more precipitation than Phoenix or Yuma....

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10-1 (1)
|Paul Arroyo
|Submission (strikes)
|Rage in the Cage 71
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:03
|Tempe, Arizona

Tempe, Arizona

Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|9-1 (1)
|Adam Roland
|TKO (punches)
|Rage in the Cage 70
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:46
|Glendale, Arizona

Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8-1 (1)
|Jesse Bongfeldt

Jesse Bongfeldt

Jesse Bongfeldt is a Canadian professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is a middleweight, and has fought for such organizations as the Ultimate Fighting Championships.-Early Career:...

|TKO (punches)
|WFF 7: Professional Shooto
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:12
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7-1 (1)
|Kyle Bradley

Kyle Bradley

Kyle James Bradley is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Lightweight division.- Career In The UFC :Bradley had a rough start in the UFC as he was knocked out quickly in the first by UFC vet Chris Lytle....

|Submission (rear naked choke)
|Fight Factory
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|2:34
|N/A
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6-1 (1)
|Kyle Sprouse
|Submission (choke)
|RITC 63: It's Time
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:47
|Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5-1 (1)
|Garett Davis
|Submission (triangle choke)
|World Freestyle Fighting 6
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|3:52
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
| NC
|align=center|4-1 (1)
|James Upshur
|No Contest
|RITC 61: Relentless
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|N/A
|Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4-1
|Jarvis Brennaman
|Submission (triangle choke)
|ECS: Evolution
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:22
|Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|3-1
|Dave Klein
|Submission (choke)
|RITC 50: The Prelude
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|1:56
|Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2-1
|Justin Nauling
|Submission (armbar)
|RITC 49: Stare Down
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|0:38
|Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

, U.S.
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|1-1
|Jesse Moreng

Jesse Moreng

Jesse Moreng is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights in WEC's featherweight divisionand holds a notable win against former WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner....

Phoenix, Arizona

, U.S.
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1-0
|Carlos Ortega
|Decision (unanimous)
|RITC 46: Launching Pad
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|3:00
|Tempe, Arizona

Tempe, Arizona

, U.S.
|

Personal life

He is an alumnus of Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Arizona, where he also was a part of the Deer Valley Skyhawk Wrestling Team. He attended Lock Haven University where he joined the Pi Kappa Alpha

Pi Kappa Alpha

Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...

fraternity (he is not listed in the PI registry, if he joined it was after college) and spent his time at that school training both as a wrestler and a boxer, where he was NCBA (National Collegiate Boxing Association) Champion for the nationally recognized Lock Haven University boxing team. Also attended PCC(Pima Community College) outside of Maricopa county in Arizona.

Varner was instrumental in the legalization and forthcoming athletic sanctioning of mixed martial arts in the state of Arizona after giving testimony to the sport's legitimacy and ongoing development as an athletic profession.

External links

http://www.mmajacked.com/jamievarner MMAJacked Prosite
http://www.jamievarner.com Official Site
http://www.mtxaudio.com/mma/view_bio.aspx?u=17 Bio at MTX MMA Website

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