Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner announced his retirement immediately after a submission loss to Drew Dober at UFC on FOX 13 Saturday night.
“I planned this a long time ago,” Varner told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. “My family knew. I knew this was going to be my last fight. I can’t keep up with these young guys anymore. I’m battling injuries all the time.”
Despite just a 1-5 mark in his past six fights, the Arizona native called his career an “absolute dream.”
In a separate backstage interview with Ariel Helwani, Varner also stated that although he just turned 30 in October, he has been boxing since he was 11 years old and wrestling since he was 14 – so his body has been through a lot.
“C-4” said his biggest career highs were winning the WEC strap from Rob McCullough in February 2008 and scoring the 2012 Upset of the Year when he scored a TKO over surging prospect Edson Barboza at UFC 146 in July 2012.
He retires with a 21-11-1(2) record overall.
Varner’s matchup with Dober went south when he went for a lateral drop, which was countered and caused Varner to land on the back of his head and appeared to be briefly knocked unconscious.
From there, Dober took mount, which he then transition to the back mount, before locking up a rear-naked choke that forced Varner to tap.
Win or lose, Varner said he was going to retire after the bout with Dober, telling Helwani that was a decision he made a while ago.