Jamie Varner to Main Event Titan FC 20 on HDNet

Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will be back on television for the Sept. 23 Titan FC 20 card at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, promoters announced Wednesday.

Varner will share headlining duties in a showdown against Bellator veteran Alonzo Martinez. The other bout official for the HDNet card is a bantamweight tilt between Anthony Guiterrez (3-0) and Laramie Schaffer (4-2).

After failing to make the UFC roster following the UFC-WEC merger, Varner (17-5-1) contemplated retirement but ultimately decided to continue fighting while at the same time studying at Seton Hall to become a physician's assistant. Varner also left Arizona Combat Sports for better sparring partners at the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, where he began training under Mike Constantino with the Miller brothers, Charlie Brenneman and others. In May, Varner returned to the local level and scored a first-round technical submission win over Tyler Combs at XFO 30 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Martinez (31-14-1) went 1-1 as a member of the inaugural season of Bellator in 2009, losing to Toby Imada and then beating Victor Menza. Martinez is on quite the win streak, compiling four straight wins and walking out with his arm raised nine of his last 10 appearances.