Jamie Varner has warned upcoming fighters against the dangers of frequent sparring, in a recent video interview. In front a packed out audience in his home state of Arizona, the 31-year-old announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts in December of 2014 immediately following a submission loss to Drew Dober on the underard of UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic. Varner faced every outcome across his 11-year career spanning 35 fights with 21 wins. In that time he was only ever knocked out once, at the tail end of his career, during a ‘Fight of the Night’ effort against Abel Trujillo who landed a devastating right hand to end the contest during the second round at UFC 169. The former WEC lightweight champion revealed that years of accumilated head trauma, despite only one knockout loss, is what prompted his early retirement and that it came as a result of frequent sparring. He stressed that sparring should be used as a tool to work on technique and test cardio levels, and that once a week with protective gear, larger gloves and sensible intensity is plenty and only needed when a scheduled bout is near. Varner explains that he could have continued fighting but retired happily and on his own terms having acknowledged the bigger picture and his hopes for a healthy future. He remains satisfied with what was a memorable career boasting highlights performances against standout names and with a notable world title. Varner added, “you don’t need to be getting hit in the head to become a better fighter.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZmoaA6LpA ]]>
UFC veteran Varner warns, "Sparring cut my career short"
