Varner retains WEC title in pain

The first World Extreme Cagefighting card of the year saw a spirited, bruising battle for the lightweight championship that could end up putting the titleholder's future in jeopardy. Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone battled heartily for five rounds until Varner was caught with an accidental illegal knee while on the mat. Varner, who had controlled much of the fight with takedowns, was too shaken up to continue, and the fight went to the judges' cards, one of whom surprised many by giving Cerrone the nod.

Varner told the Sherdog Radio Network’s "Beatdown" radio show that the knee landed between his temple and eye, threw off his peripheral vision, and may have done career-ending damage to his retina. Varner also said he broke bones in his hand and foot in the course of the fight.

In the moments after his first career main event, Varner was practically in tears over the way the fight ended, apologizing profusely on the microphone to a booing audience in San Diego, the promotion’s debut in the city. The jeers came despite a performance that earned Varner and Cerrone $7,500 “Fight of the Night” bonuses.

In the co-main event, Urijah Faber earned “Submission of the Night” for a tidy first-round guillotine on Jens Pulver, an abbreviated rematch of the biggest fight in WEC history. The win put Faber firmly back on course to fight again for the featherweight title. The 34-year-old Pulver made emotional post-fight remarks about his future in the sport following three straight losses, and told WEC.tv that he “doesn’t know what to do.” Also on the main card, surging featherweight prospect Jose Aldo earned “Knockout of the Night” for his perfectly placed knee on the overmatched Rolando Perez.

The Versus Network broadcast of the event drew a 0.65 rating for 700,000 viewers, according to The Wrestling Observer. That means Faber vs. Pulver is now responsible for the first and second highest-rated fights in WEC history. Their first meeting on June 1 drew a record 1.4 million viewers.