PHOENIX - “Its basic self defense, but it’s also fun,” said professional fighter Jamie Varner. “It’s something they can use in life and carry on that discipline."

Former Deer Valley High School graduate, Varner, is talking about his career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting Circuit.

“Since I’ve gone full time, I felt I have been in better condition, stronger, faster and just a better fighter,” Varner said. “I do all of my grappling and all of my wrestling in the morning and that’s usually 10 a.m. to noon. And then I come back and do all of my boxing and kickboxing from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.”

When Varner prepares for a fight he's does anywhere from 12 to 16 workouts a week at Arizona Combat Sports in Tempe. Besides boxing, kickboxing and wrestling, Varner practices Brazilian

Jiu-jitsu and works on strength and conditioning.

“I can go out and run four miles and be fine, but a fight, its something about a five minute round or 15 minute fight, it just kills me.”

To help Varner go the distance when he gets ready for his next fight, he's trying out Cameron Bradford's program at Extremeconditioning.net.

“So you have all the technique in the world, but if you’re tired at the end of the fight, you’re going to lose.” Bradford said. “The whole deal with me being a sports conditioning specialist is to make sure those athletes energy systems are primed for that fight.”

Varner hits the gym with Bradford two times a week. He'll do a circuit program that Bradford’s designed which includes 4 to 8 exercises.

“So let’s say for four months you do a program leading up to it and your peaking,” Bradford said. “So now the athlete is not going to be tired come fight time.”

“I just want to be the best at something and then, you know, pass my knowledge on to other people,” Varner said. “And I would like to have my own gym someday and coach.”

While this 23-year-old still has a lot to accomplish in his career, here's what Varner had to say to others trying to break into this field.

‘You can will it upon yourself to be an elite athlete,” he said. “All you have to do is go into a gym, believe in yourself and train hard.”