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After capping a miserable 2010 campaign with a release from the Zuffa umbrella, former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner (17-5-1) has officially set out on the comeback trail. The southwest standout has scheduled two televised headlining fights within regional promotions over the next two months.
Varner first enters the cage on September 23rd against Alonzo Martinez at Titan Fighting Championship 20. The event is scheduled at The Historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, and will be broadcast on HDNet's Friday Night MMA coverage.
Subsequently, barring major injury, Varner hopes to return a month later against Nate Jolly at the main event of XFC 14. The card is scheduled for October 21st at the UCF Arena in Orlando, Florida, and will also be covered by HDNet.
For the 26-year-old former champion, the two events provide a welcome opportunity to reinvigorate his image after the worst year of his career. Varner failed to collect a single win in four fights in 2010, capping it off with a stunning first-round submission loss to Shane Roller at WEC 53.
In early May, Varner picked up his first win since 2009, defeating Tyler Combs in the co-headlining event of XFO 39 via north/south choke. The bout marked the fighter's welterweight debut.