Reports surfaced on Friday that former MFC lightweight champ Antonio McKee was in negotiations with DREAM to face lightweight champ Shinya Aoki (27-5, 1NC) at the end of the month in Japan. Aoki’s original opponent, Willamy Freire was forced out of the bout due to visa issues.
Now Sherdog.com is reporting that former WEC champ Jamie Varner (16-5-1) is also in negotiations with the Japanese promotion to face it’s champ at the end of the month at DREAM.17. The site also reports that negotiations with McKee were ended after finding “another replacement”, presumably Varner.
The upcoming DREAM.17: Fight for Japan event takes place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. The event features the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of DREAM’s Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament. The final and third place bouts will take place in July, with the top three fighters moving on to a planned World Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament later this fall.
Varner is currently scheduled to fight on an upcoming Xtreme Fighting Organization event on May 13 in Illinois, so it’s unclear how this may effect a bout with Aoki. The former WEC lightweight champ hasn’t won a fight in his last four bouts, having last fought in December at WEC 53. He was submitted by Shane Roller at the final WEC show, and was released by Zuffa. That span also includes a decision loss to Donald Cerrone, a draw against Kamal Shalorus, and a submission loss to Ben Henderson.