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Brandon Vera Bio
Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist. He competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the winner of the WEC 13 Heavyweight Tournament and currently resides in San Diego, California.
Early life
Vera is the son of a Filipino father, Ernesto, and an Italian-American mother, Amelia. He grew up in a family with seven boys and three girls. He was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, and attended Lake Taylor High School where he excelled in wrestling and earned a four-year athletic scholarship to Old Dominion University. However, he dropped out of Old Dominion after a year and a half when he felt college was not for him, and enlisted himself in the United States Air Force.
In the Air Force, Vera joined the force's wrestling team and trained at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His military wrestling career was cut short in 1999 when he tore ligaments in his right elbow. Arthroscopic surgery repaired the ligaments, but he had nerve damage from the experience, causing him to be unable to use his right arm. He was released from the Air Force on a medical discharge.
Vera returned to Virginia where he steadily rehabilitated his arm, and eventually was fit enough to enter the Grapplers Quest submission wrestling competitions on the East Coast. There, his solitary training methods (he did not belong to a camp and trained and cut weight on his own) caught the attention of Lloyd Irvin, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt and coach, who invited him to train with his school. At Irvin's school, he was introduced to mixed martial arts. He also trained with Linxx Academy, and Hybrid Academy.
Mixed martial arts career
Vera's first professional mixed martial arts bout was on July 6, 2002, while training under Lloyd Irvin. He won the fight, against Adam Rivera, via TKO in the first round. He fought and won another bout in 2004 before entering a World Extreme Cagefighting heavyweight tournament in 2005, where he won two bouts in one night, including a bout against The Ultimate Fighter 2's Mike Whitehead in the finals.
Vera moved to San Diego, California, on December 31, 2003, to accept a training position with City Boxing in San Diego. At City Boxing, Vera excelled as a trainer and was taken under the wing of City Boxing owner Mark Dion, who became his manager and introduced him to kickboxing great Rob Kaman. With Vera's success as a trainer and a mixed martial arts fighter, Dion gave Vera partial ownership of City Boxing.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Vera made his UFC debut at Ultimate Fight Night 2 on October 3, 2005, against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabiano Scherner. Vera won the fight via KO mid-way through the second round. Following the Scherner bout, he faced Justin Eilers at UFC 57, winning early in the first round by knockout. At UFC 60, Vera defeated Assuerio Silva with a guillotine choke. On November 18, he stopped former heavyweight champion Frank Mir by TKO due to strikes in just 69 seconds at UFC 65 in Sacramento, California.
White had been telling the media prior to UFC 65 that the winner of the Vera-Mir fight would face the winner of the Tim Sylvia-Jeff Monson bout, which was also being held that same night, for the championship. Vera's victory secured him a championship bout against then title-holder Tim Sylvia, but a contract dispute with the UFC forced him to be replaced by Randy Couture.
In August, the UFC announced the "return" of Vera. His first fight was at UFC 77 against Tim Sylvia, who recently lost the championship to Randy Couture.[1] Vera lost for the first time via a unanimous decision. He also broke his left hand at 4:40 minutes into the first round.
Vera had his second loss at UFC 85 against Fabricio Werdum by TKO. The fight was controversially stopped by referee Dan Miragliotta as Werdum mounted him and performed some ground and pound. After the stoppage, Vera was upset as he felt he was defending himself effectively.
After his two recent losses, Vera moved to the light heavyweight division, facing IFL alum Reese Andy at an impromptu UFC event, UFC Fight Nights 14 on July 19, 2008, on Spike TV. Vera defeated Andy via unanimous decision.
At UFC 89 Vera lost to Keith Jardine via a narrow split decision. Following the fight, Vera incurred criticism for his performance since his return to the UFC having been victorious in only one of his last four fights.
A more focused Vera appeared on the preliminary card of UFC 96. It was the first time Vera was not on the main card since he made his debut in the UFC. He made an impressive performance against Mike Patt, showing a more aggressive and intense striking approach and stopping him via TKO (leg kicks) in the 2nd round.
Vera fought Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 102 after his original opponent, Matt Hamill, was forced to drop out due after suffering a meniscus tear while training. Vera won via unanimous decision.
Vera lost a close fight to Randy Couture via a controversial unanimous decision on November 14, 2009, in the main event at UFC 105, with the media comparing the decision to a previous UFC event (UFC 104 Machida-Rua) which prompted that MMA judging should be changed.
Vera faced Jon Jones on March 21, 2010, at UFC LIVE: Vera vs. Jones and lost via TKO in the first round after an elbow from Jones broke Vera's face in three places.
Vera was defeated by Thiago Silva via unanimous decision on January 1, 2011 at UFC 125. At the end of the third round, Vera stood up to reveal a badly broken nose. Vera was cut by the UFC with a 7–6 record in the organization. However following the fight it was revealed that his opponent Thiago Silva had failed the post-fight drug test. As a result of this, Vera was rehired by the UFC and the result of the Silva fight was changed to a no contest, resulting in Vera's UFC record changing to 7-5-0-1.
Vera defeated Eliot Marshall at UFC 137 via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Vera was briefly linked to a rematch Thiago Silva on May 15, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 3. However, Vera was forced out the bout with an injury.
Vera is now expected to face James Te-Huna at UFC on Fuel TV 4 .
Personal life
Vera's wife, Kerry, is also a mixed martial artist who now fights for Strikeforce. She was featured on the second season of Oxygen's Fight Girls. Vera has a tattoo on his back, inked in the Filipino writing system called Alibata. Clockwise, it reads mundo (earth), hangin (wind), apoy (fire) and tubig (water).
While staying in the Philippines, he trained Filipino actor, Richard Gutierrez, in martial arts and has been given a role as an assassin for Philippine primetime television show, Kamandag on the GMA Network.
In the latter part of his training for UFC 89, Vera was reportedly held at gun point by two men attempting to rob the house in which he was staying. Vera stated that the incident did not affect his performance against Keith Jardine.
Accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- World Extreme Cagefighting
- WEC Heavyweight Tournament Winner
Mixed martial arts record
External links
- Official Brandon Vera Website
- Professional MMA record for Brandon Vera from Sherdog
- Alliance Training Center
- Brandon Vera Fight Results
- Official UFC Profile
MMA Shirts
