Before his first hometown fight in nearly five years earlier this month, Jamie Varner told MMA Fighting he was fighting for his life – that a loss to Shane Roller would likely lead to a pink slip from Zuffa.
“I know if I lose this fight, I’m probably going to get cut,” Varner said. “I’m fighting for my life, dude. So there’s a lot of pressure. But I’ve got the home-court advantage, so that’s one thing I’ve got working in my favor.”
But as Varner was afraid of, after a submission loss to Roller at WEC 53 in his native Phoenix, the former WEC lightweight champion has been released by Zuffa. The news was first reported by the MMA and video game website PunchDrunkGamer, where Varner put out an official statement. A spokesperson at Knock Out Representation, Varner’s agency, confirmed his release to MMA Fighting on Tuesday, but declined comment.