According to XFC officials, Jamie Varner will enter the Knoxville Civic Auditorium-Coliseum with bad intentions on his mind when he faces Drew Fickett in the main event of XFC 16: "High Stakes." This event will air live via HDNet on Feb. 10, 2012, and local fans will have an opportunity to see their favorite local fighters compete.
John Pricso, President of XFC, says this fight is personal for Jamie Varner and Drew Fickett, as these fighters share a mutual dislike for each other. Interestingly, with over 80 combined pro fights combined, these two men have never met in the cage. The "High Stakes" event is changing that:
"It's really not a secret that Jamie Varner and Drew Fickett don't like each other," explained Prisco. "As I was looking at opponents for Jamie I remember hearing some stuff about a beef between him and Drew. And when I asked both of them about a potential fight in Knoxville, each of them said yes without any hesitation."
Varner fought at XFC 14 in October - where he knocked out local Knoxville area favorite, Nate Jolly, in just 69 seconds.
"Jamie looked amazing in Orlando," recalled Prisco. "He rolled right through Nate Jolly. Nate's been around a long time and he's never been knocked out. Jamie ran through him in just over a minute. I believe Varner is rejuvenated and he's told me that he has found that love of fighting that he was missing earlier this year. I'm excited to have an energized Jamie Varner in the main event. When Jamie comes to fight he's going to hurt somebody."
His nemesis, Drew Fickett, has a record of wins over a virtual who's who of MMA. Defeating fighters such as Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian, Carlo Prater, and Dennis Hallman, Fickett is no slouch. Last September Drew "The Master" Fickett fought in the Shine Lightweight Grand Prix - and defeated three men in one night to take the win. In fact, he finished each of his fights in the first round!
In his first fight Fickett submitted "Krazy Horse" Charles Bennett by guillotine; tapped out future Ultimate Fighter Finalist Dennis Bermudez; and in his third and final fight of the night he submitted Carlo Prater in just over two minutes.
"You can't look past Drew Fickett," said Prisco. "Drew is the only guy that's ever submitted Josh Koscheck. In addition to Koscheck he also beat Kenny Florian. Not to mention the three guys last September in the Grand Prix. If Drew gets your back he'll put you to sleep. If he gets your arm, you are tapping or he's taking it home. Fickett vs. Varner is a fight I was actually surprised hadn't happened yet. With their storied careers and bad blood this fight has to happen and I'm proud to have it as our main event in Knoxville."
If you're an MMA fan who just can't get enough, be sure to attend XFC 16 : High Stakes. The event will be sponsored by Sheets Energy Strips (has anyone tried those yet? what do you think of them?) and Overthrow Gear. It is set to air live on HDnet from the Knoxville Civic Auditorium & Coliseum in Knoxville, TN on FRIDAY, February 10th, 2012, starting at 7pm.
Tickets are on sale now through KnoxvilleTickets.com. Go here to learn more about the XFC; and on Twitter.
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