This Saturday, November 14th, Brandon "The Truth" Vera will be fighting the most important fight of his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career when he steps into the octagon with UFC legend Randy “The Natural” Couture. This fight, which will be in the light heavyweight (205 lb.) division, headlines UFC 105 as the main event in Manchester, England. Vera is arguably the most recognizable and successful Pilipino-American fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA), with a record of 11-3. Seen as one of the most versatile fighters in the UFC, Vera hopes that a win against Couture will get him that much closer to a title shot in the light heavyweight division.
Vera, the son of a Filipino father, Ernesto, and an Italian mother, Amelia, grew up in a family of seven boys and three girls in Norfolk, Virginia. He earned a four-year athletic scholarship to Old Dominion University through Greco-Roman wrestling. After a year and a half at Old Dominion, Vera decided to enlist in the United States Air Force, where he joined the force's wrestling team and trained at the US Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1999, torn ligaments and nerve damage in his right elbow caused him to be released from the Air Force on a medical discharge; however, by July 6, 2002 he was able to fully rehabilitate his right elbow and compete in his first MMA event.
His first fight in the UFC was on October 3, 2005 in the heavyweight (225+ lb.) division, where he won by TKO in the 2nd round. Although considered a “small” heavyweight, he won his first four fights in a row in the UFC, with one of the wins being against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. After a couple of losses against tough opponents, he dropped down to the light heavyweight division where many people think he is much more suited to fight. He is 3-1 in the light heavyweight division, and is going into the fight against Couture with a two fight winning str
eak.
At 6'3”, Vera is one of the taller light heavyweights in the division, which gives him a reach advantage in many of his fights. He has tattoos on his back inked in the ancient Philippine script called Baybayin. These tattoos represent the four elements, and clockwise, it reads mundo (earth), hangin (wind), apoy (fire), and tubig (water).
His first fight in the UFC was on October 3, 2005 in the heavyweight (225+ lb.) division, where he won by TKO in the 2nd round. Although considered a “small” heavyweight, he won his first four fights in a row in the UFC, with one of the wins being against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. After a couple of losses against tough opponents, he dropped down to the light heavyweight division where many people think he is much more suited to fight. He is 3-1 in the light heavyweight division, and is going into the fight against Couture with a two fight winning str
eak. At 6'3”, Vera is one of the taller light heavyweights in the division, which gives him a reach advantage in many of his fights. He has tattoos on his back inked in the ancient Philippine script called Baybayin. These tattoos represent the four elements, and clockwise, it reads mundo (earth), hangin (wind), apoy (fire), and tubig (water).
Randy Couture describes his upcoming opponent as follows:
Brandon Vera is the first of these challenges at 205lbs. It would have been
very nice to be the big guy in the Octagon(TM) for the first time in years but,
having trained with Brandon and competed against him in wrestling many years
ago, I know that he is as big and as powerful as I am.
He’s looked very sharp, very dangerous, in his last few fights. His stand up is
very good, he is very fast and accurate with his kicks and he can hurt you to
the legs with those weapons. He also proved he has the power to hurt
big heavyweights, and that he can be patient and take advantage if you make
a mistake.
He is known for his stand-up in the UFC, but I know from experience that his
wrestling is outstanding. He represents some interesting tactical problems.
While staying in Philippines, Vera trains Filipino actor Richard Gutierrez in martial arts and has been given a role as The Assassin for the Philippine primetime television show Kamandag on the GMA Network.
Links:
Brandon Vera's Official Website – http://www.brandonvera.com
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Vera
Jaco Clothing (official sponsor) - http://www.jacoclothing.com
Comments
this one of my idol in UFC MMA.... thats great i pray that he will win in he's fight... good luck BTG...
I completely forgot about Vera's background in the Air Force.
How appropriate for this article to come out on Veterans Day!