http://mmajunkie.com/news/26626/jamie-varner-returns-at-hdnets-xfc-16-event-in-tennessee.mmaFormer champion Jamie
Varner's post-WEC career continues in February
when he takes the headlining spot on Xtreme Fighting Championships'
newest card, "XFC 16: High Stakes."
The show takes place Feb. 10 at Knoxville Civic Auditorium-Coliseum in Tennessee.
The main card airs on HDNet, though an opponent hasn't been finalized for
Varner (18-6-1).
Varner fights for the second time under the XFC banner. The former WEC
lightweight champion is 2-1 since his departure from the WEC, where he
was one of the organization's biggest stars. Most recently, he scored a
69-second knockout of respected vet Nate Jolly. Prior to the bout,
Varner, who recently relocated to New Jersey and joined AMA Fight Club,
was stuck in a 1-4-1 skid.
Joining
Varner on the main card is a middleweight bout between Stoney
Hale (4-2) and Dustin West (5-4). Hale, who's competed twice under the
Bellator banner, most recently picked up a split-decision win over
Gerric Hayes at Strikeforce Challengers 13. West also competed on the
card, where he defeated Daniel Schmitt via TKO. After that, he returned
to the regional scene and suffered a decision loss to John Donnelly and
also knocked out heavyweight Johnathan Ivey (in a fight with a nearly
100-pound difference between the competitors).
Slated for the preliminary card are 130-pounders Len Cook (1-0) vs.
Chris Wright (5-1-1), lightweights Brandon Demastes (0-0) vs. Scott
Holtzman (0-0), 178-pounders Drew Kennedy (3-0) vs. Devan Plaisance
(5-6), and 180-pounders Shane Matchette (1-2) vs. Tyler Minton (3-0).
Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
XFC 16 is the Florida-based promotion's third in Tennessee and first since 2009.