Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner

In the world of MMA quality sparring partners who know what they are doing are rare, especially when they are bigger than you. I was training when I was 198 pounds with what would have been an easy cut to 185 and I was mostly training with welterweights to middleweights. Some opponents were UFC, K-1, or just straight up boxers and could light you up quickly, but it wasn’t until I started boxing with heavyweights when I got nervous.

Natural heavyweights hit very hard and almost all of them have soup bones for hands so you need to be quick or get your bell rung. This was fun at first, but later I dreaded the bigger guys even when I got the better of the exchanges. Former UFC star Jamie Varner stated this very reason as a factor in his decision to retire in an interview with CageFanatic.

My career got cut short because I was sparring three days a week, with bigger opponents. I had Ryan Bader, Aaron Simpson, Carlos Condit. Those were my sparring partners from like 2006 to 2010. So I had a lot of head trauma just sparring with those big guys.

He also talked about his thoughts on longevity for today’s batch of MMA star prospects.

If I could give any advice to young, upcoming fighters – you’re a fighter, you don’t need to spar to prove how tough you are. So spar once a week.

Sparring is a tool that is used to work on game plans, and to see where you are condition wise, cardiovascularly. You don’t need to spar three days a week to prove you’re tough. You’re fighting in the UFC, you’re obviously tough … That’s ultimately what cut my career short.

Varner has no reason to look back because he was a talented guy with an entertaining fighting style. He feels the same way.

But you know what? I had an awesome career. I won big fights. I won a world title. I am happy with what I accomplished.

One thought on “Jamie Varner on why he retired, advice to younger fighters”
  1. I’ve long said that fighters should train smarter and not harder…these fighters sparring crazy rounds and WITHOUT headgear mind you…I understand you train hard to make the fight ‘easy’…but at the same time…there’s NO sense in taking unnecessary punishment in training either….you’re paying other guys to beat you up…really? #notsmart

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