Varner: 'It's Good to be on Top'
World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Jamie Varner seems to have adjusted to life with a belt wrapped around his waist.
As he approaches his second title defense, this one against undefeated Donald Cerrone next month, the confident 23-year-old remains focused on maintaining his status as the WEC’s top 155-pound fighter. Success has only strengthened his resolve.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m any sort of superstar,” Varner told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “I don’t even feel like a world champ, but there’s obviously a target on my back. Everybody’s gunning for that world title. There are some big guns coming after me, but you know what? I like it. It’s good to be on top.”
Varner (15-2) will carry a four-fight winning streak into his bout with Cerrone at WEC 38 on Jan. 25 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif. Based out of Arizona Combat Sports, he last competed in August when he stopped the previously unbeaten Marcus Hicks on first-round strikes at WEC 35. Fourteen of Varner’s 15 career wins have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Cerrone (9-0), a product of Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M., defeated former champion “Razor” Rob McCullough by unanimous decision at WEC 36 in November.
“Donald Cerrone is probably one of the most dangerous fighters I’m ever going to fight,” Varner said. “He’s so good at kickboxing, and he’s got a good, tight jiu-jitsu game on his back. I’ve had my eye on him for a while.”
