On the eve of his second title defense, World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion
Jamie Varner was on point.
Varner checked in at 155 pounds for his main event match with unbeaten
Donald Cerrone (154.5) at WEC 38 on Sunday at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif. The 18 other fighters on the card also made weight without incident at Saturday’s official weigh-in, although Ben Henderson,
Edgar Garcia and
Blas Avena needed second attempts on the scale.
Having enjoyed a meteoric rise up the 155-pound charts, Varner (15-2) carries a four-fight winning streak into the bout. Based out of the Arizona Combat Sports camp, he has, at 24 years of age, emerged as one of the sport’s bright young stars. He last competed at WEC 35 in August, when he buried the previously unbeaten
Marcus Hicks with strikes 2:08 into their match. Varner has finished 14 of his 15 wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Cerrone’s stock has never been higher. Fresh of his memorable showdown with former WEC champion
Rob McCullough in November -- he won a unanimous decision -- the 24-year-old has submitted eight opponents since he debuted at a Ring of Fire show in 2006. Cerrone (9-0, 1 NC) owns victories against UFC veterans
Nate Mohr and
Ryan Roberts.
In the other featured attraction at WEC 38, former featherweight king
Urijah Faber (145.5) will look to bounce back from his first defeat in more than three years when he tackles
Jens Pulver (146) for the second time eight months.
Faber (21-2) relinquished his featherweight title in a technical knockout loss to American Top Team’s
Mike Thomas Brown in November. Pulver, the one-time UFC lightweight champion, has dropped four of his last five bouts; that includes his unanimous decision defeat to Faber at WEC 34 in June.
WEC 38 “Varner vs. Cerrone”
Sunday, Jan. 25
San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, Calif.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Jamie Varner (155) vs.
Donald Cerrone (154.5)
Jens Pulver (146) vs.
Urijah Faber (145.5)
Mike Campbell (170.5) vs.
Danillo Villefort (170.5)
Rolando Perez (145) vs
Jose Aldo (145.5)
Anthony Njokuani (156) vs.
Benson Henderson (156)
Edgar Garcia (171) vs.
Hiromitsu Miura (170.5)
Ian McCall (135.5) vs.
Dominic Cruz (135)
Frank Gomez (136) vs.
Scott Jorgensen (135.5)
Jesse Lennox (170.5) vs.
Blas Avena (171)
Seth Dikun (136) vs.
Charlie Valencia (134)
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