"If he's going to try and kickbox me, I'm going to use my punches to set up my takedowns," he said. "He didn't seem to throw many kicks against [Richard] Crunkilton because I think he was worried about the takedown. The more kicks he throws, the easier it is for me to take him down. I'm hoping to get him in a boxing match; I feel that will be in my favor."
Varner has proven to be far from ordinary during his five-year MMA career. He blasted onto the radar when an eight-month layoff led into his UFC debut with less than three weeks of prep time. Two rounds went to the rookie before veteran Hermes Franca (Pictures) pulled out an armbar on the exhausted Varner.
Under the guidance of the Arizona Combat Sports gym, one of the most underrated teams in the country, Varner has worked with K-1-level kickboxers, BJJ black belts and collegiate wrestling All-Americans as he continues to mature as a full-time fighter.
His training camp for Wednesday's meeting with McCullough also included regular trips to Flagstaff, Ariz., where Varner's team has found its own version of Big Bear. At 7,000 feet above sea level, Varner worked to fulfill the promise he made to himself of never gassing out again.
The possibility of being crowned champion has easily turned this fight into the biggest of his career. With three fights left on his deal with the WEC, the difference between winning and losing is the difference between Varner working his way back up a crowded ladder or defending his belt as he marches toward a potential return to the UFC.
"One thing I did learn from my last fight is that I have all the tools to be a world champion," Varner said. "I deserve this title shot. Some people kind of just get it. I feel like I definitely earned it."
With the spotlight comes the need to drown out the distractions of Vegas and the industry experts who shower the frontrunner with praise. McCullough walks into his title defense with a nine-fight winning streak dating back to 2004. Varner and his team are quick to point out the less than stellar records of a few of McCullough's recent conquests, including Kit Cope (Pictures), Randy Hauer (Pictures) and Olaf Alfonso (Pictures).
"It's because he fights B-level strikers," Varner said. "I'm not going to take anything from Rob. He's a world champion and he deserves to be where he's at, but every fight he's lost, it's been to a better wrestler."
Although the bout should be more than simply wrestler versus striker, the cat-and-mouse game of when to strike and when to shoot will be in constant play. If the fight is contested on the mat, the momentum will favor Varner, who will likely test McCullough's jiu-jitsu skills and defensive prowess. However, McCullough's camp no doubt believes that their fighter will be in control if he keeps Varner on the outside, where the Californian could pelt away with strikes and entice his challenger to trade blow for blow.
"I'm a much better wrestler than he is," said Varner, a junior college All-American. "‘Razor' Rob is going to have a hard time defending my takedowns, but if he's worried about my takedowns, he's going to have a hard time defending my right hand and left hook."
For both men the fight will present arguably the best competition they've faced in professional MMA. Neither has gone close to 25 minutes before either, which could be a factor. If the bell rings for the fifth round, it will likely mean that Varner has imposed his will while avoiding a fight-ending flurry of punches or kicks.
The opposite of a dominating victory for Varner would be a quick, decisive knockout for McCullough. The main culprit of wrestlers getting knocked out is often a lazy shot from the outside. A bad takedown attempt also means an easy sprawl counter. However, McCullough's takedown defense will be put to the test early in the fight by the best wrestler he's had to compete with since Josh Thomson (Pictures).
"I feel like I can take him down anywhere in the cage, from just about any position," Varner said. "He may be able to stop a couple of my shots, but as long as he doesn't catch me on the chin, I have a good chance of getting him on ground."
Trevor Lally (Pictures), co-owner of AZ Combat Sports with his twin brother, Todd, echoes the sentiment that Varner's striking is being overlooked.
"We'll take [Varner] to any gym and go at it with anybody on the feet," Lally said. "As far as wrestling goes, he's light years ahead of ‘Razor.' On the feet, in confidence level McCullough has the edge, but in style and technique, I think they're even."
Looking to avoid the mistakes of past McCullough victims, Varner and his camp have worked diligently on devising the proper strategy for when the cage door shuts. In fact, they openly talk about what went wrong for Rich Crunkilton against McCullough.
"I don't think Crunkilton should have went in there and tried to trade kicks with a strong kickboxer," Varner explained. "He's known for his ground skills. He should have used his punches and his kicks to set up the takedowns. His ego got in the way. He's better on the ground than Razor Rob, so why play into his strength?"
Said Lally: "I thought Crunkilton would expose him a little bit. Game plans have a lot to do with this sport, too. I don't know what game plan Crunkilton was doing. Not only was he trying to stand up with Rob, but he was really unorthodox about it."
At this level of competition, what separates the haves from the have-nots isn't necessarily physical attributes. Many fighters are on the same physical plane, but the mental capacity to handle the weight of the moment makes a difference. According to Lally, who will be in his fighter's corner, Varner will need to come into the fight loose and relaxed in order to have his hand raised.
"Varner will win the fight if he believes he will win the fight," Lally said. "Varner just has to keep his mind together, that's it. He's still a young kid; he's still relatively new to the sport. He's only had five or six really big fights, and this will be his biggest fight. If he can keep his mind together, he will own ‘Razor' Rob."
With a victory Wednesday night and a title belt around his waist, Varner will also hold the right to be called the best in the WEC at 155 pounds.