Brandon Vera: “I made too much money and I started listening to the hype”

Published on: 14th November, 2009

Brandon Vera: "I made too much money and I started listening to the hype"  | read this item

Related News

• Nick Catone vs Mark Munoz at UFC 102 (2)
• James Toney wants to be the “Bo Jackson” of the UFC and Boxing: “I’m going to go back and forth” (4)
• UFC Video: Dana White to hold Press Conference next week on Brock Lesnar’s Health Status, Penn vs Edgar at UFC 112 & Zuffa Sale (3)

We all know Brandon Vera was out for almost a year from 2006-2007 during a contract dispute with the UFC which cost him one of the most precious things in a fighters career; time.

In a interview with Fight! Magazine Vera spoke about his return fight against Tim Sylvia where he broke his right hand early in the first round and let himself get out of shape.

“I was a fat son of a bitch,” he says. “I was around 240. I’m walking around at 212 now, man. At this weight I’m always in shape and I feel better.” hand—back in October 2007 at UFC 77. “I was arou hand—back in October 2007 at UFC 77. “I was arou 240. I’m walking around at 212 now, man. At this weight I’m always in shape and I feel better.”

Vera also spoke about a conversation with former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Minotauro Nogueira about how hard it is to stay motivated and in top shape as a fighter.

“What happened to me is I made too much money and I started listening to the hype and started fucking around man,” he says. “It was all a part of growing. I was talking to [Antonio Rodrigo] Noguiera and he was like, Brandon, I went through that shit twice—in Pride, and just last year in the UFC. I wasn’t training for shit. He told me, ‘if you hit the top then one day, one way or another, you’re going to hit rock bottom before you head north again.’ It’s crazy when you see that check, and you start counting . . . one, two, three, four, five, six . . . ”

After Vera’s losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum he had excuses as to why he did not win. Against Randy Couture at UFC 105 he will be pressured and he will be tested and he has no excuses for a poor performance in the biggest fight of his career.

It’s time for him to live up to his name and show us how good the true Brandon Vera is.

 Narcisist is the Co-owner of UR Dirt and is the designer, editor and author. URDirt.com is a MMA blog that covers the UFC, WEC, StrikeForce, DREAM and several other Mixed Martial Art promotions. Read more from this author

Readers Comments