On the shelf for the past eight months because of management issues, Brandon Vera is close to getting the green light to return to action, according to a recent feature on SportsNet.ca.
And he’s chomping at the bit to compete at least twice before 2007 expires to make up for lost time.
Here’s a snip from “The Truth:”
“I want to fight at least twice this year (in 2007). I’ve got to get myself back into how I was before I stopped. Man, I was on a roll, and then everything kind of came to a halt. Gotta get back into the groove.”
Vera has been mired in a legal dispute with his manager Mark Dion (he was supposedly turning down fights and offers from the UFC without even consulting his client) since his last appearance against Frank Mir at UFC 65 in November 2006.
He has one fight remaining on his current Zuffa deal and was supposed to satisfy that obligation before the end of May. However, the UFC granted him a fight extension to clear up the mess with his management.
And according to the article, it could all be resolved within the next few days.
Here’s another snip:
“… [Vera] expects to be able to talk about everything soon. He was to go to arbitration with the California State Athletic Commission before the end of the month [July]. After that he hopes not only to be able to get his career back on track, but to be able to share why things got stalled in the first place. But his hands are tied in the meantime.”
A lot has changed since Vera last fought inside the Octagon. Randy Couture has captured the title, international stars such as Mirko Cro Cop, Minotauro Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum have been brought on board, and Gabriel Gonzaga has emerged as a serious contender.
And there’s also a former champion from Belarus who has worked his way back to the top of the heap.
Put simply, there’s lots to keep Vera busy this year and well into 2008.
37 Comments »
If Vera was to fight Crocop he would get mauled badly,Crocop is a bad fight for him,I cant wait to see some of these crazy matchups that are gonna have to start happening now.
i hope he does fight twice this year, there’s plenty of good fights out there for him…i’d like to see him a lhw too, he could be a serious contender there, and vera/liddell match up would have been a great main event for 76
This is great news. Cant wait to c him back in the octagon.
Dream fights:
Vera vs. Cro cop
Vera vs. Minotayro
Vera vs. arlovski
i hope they give him tim sylvia. i want to see tim sylvia’s career die.
Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.
[quote comment=”114637″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.[/quote]
There is no arguing that, but he has whoooped all of them. That shows me that he is, at the very least, ready to take on the cream of the heavyweight crop and compete with the likes of Mirko Cro Cop. (I couldnt resist the almost-rhyme)
[quote comment=”114637″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.[/quote]
Why do you think he doesn’t even deserve to fight them? Do you want him to keep fighting mid-tier fighters
Vera would crush Liddell!
I think it will be Arlovski. I think Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum should fight too.
Give me Brandon Vera at UFC 77.
Give Me Brandon Vera vs. Andrei Arlovski at UFC 77.
Sounds amazing.
I think Arlovski will beat Vera if this happens.
[quote comment=”114635″]i hope they give him tim sylvia. i want to see tim sylvia’s career die.[/quote]
Yeh, I seriously cant stand tim sylvia, n I wanna c him get crushed. Cro cop, Gonzaga, Minotauro, Fedor, and vera would all prolly kill sylvia…. It would be so fun to watch
I don’t even want to see sylvia die. I just don’t want to see him period! Vera vs arlovski is going to be great. I think arlovski days are gone. Arlovski to me is only mid-tier because there are some many new talent brought in to ufc this year due to pride collapse. Vera at most is mid-tier for now but has potential to climb. I have doubt about arlovski. People that can’t even beat sylvia should start from the bottom up.
[quote comment=”114637″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.[/quote]
Yeah, I can’t get as excited about Vera’s “return” as he is. Mid-tier competition is being kind:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=4886
Let’s see him fight twice this year. Another mid-tier/silver bracket/B class fighter as a stepping stone and then match him against a “bottom of the top” contender by years end: I’d be happy with Heath Herring (after Herring almost KO’d Minatauro) or Werdum. Or whoever loses next among Crocop, Arlovski, Minotauro, Sylvia.
The “Truth” is, Vera needs to reestablish himself after this long lay off. His fans don’t believe the hype anymore.
As for Tim Sylvia, I say give the guy a chance. I hope he is 100% healed up from this back surgery, maybe not “shredded” but hopefully he loses some of that baby fat so he doesn’t look like a Hooters girl and I hope he hammers his next opponent ugly. Then the Zuffa media machine can start saying “I’mmmm baaaaack!”, run all the clips of him knocking out Teligman, Arlovski and … that dude Rocco? Can’t remember.
A hungry Tim Sylvia would be a good thing.
VERA IS THE TRUTH - This guy is better on the ground than he is on his feet but so far his stand up has been so good we havent had the chance to see his BJJ.
If he wins his next 2 fights he will be unstoppable even if his next 2 fights are against mid-tier fighters. Once he gains momentum again I think he will destroy most of the top fighters AA, Sylvia, Couture, Gonzaga, Crocop, etc…
I think he has the best arsenal in the HW division. If someone will last long enough maybe we would see all of them
[quote comment=”114637″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.[/quote]
So who the hell is he supposed to fight? You criticize him for his level of competition, yet you don’t think he deserves to step up in class.
He’s crushed mid-tier fighters that he’s faced. The guy has serious skills. He’s won Muay Thai and BJJ tourneys. I’m not sure how he’ll cope when he’s in a high profile fight, but we need to find out.
if vera wants to fight twice this year he better fight in anaheim and the one in dec. give him werdum or someone.
Yeah we’ll see about that. Events are already lined up till pretty late. Think we’ll be lucky to see him fight ONCE in ‘07.
[quote post=”2858″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway. [/quote]
How many more mid teir figther does he have to destroy before he can move up and have a challenge.
whats wrong with UFC… i waited for the longest time just to see my idol vera fight…… let him fight soon……peace
[quote comment=”114732″]As for Tim Sylvia, I say give the guy a chance. I hope he is 100% healed up from this back surgery, maybe not “shredded” but hopefully he loses some of that baby fat so he doesn’t look like a Hooters girl and I hope he hammers his next opponent ugly. Then the Zuffa media machine can start saying “I’mmmm baaaaack!”, run all the clips of him knocking out Teligman, Arlovski and … that dude Rocco? Can’t remember.
A hungry Tim Sylvia would be a good thing.[/quote]
Agreed
Vera, Vera, Vera… I hated him so much after learning that he was asking for more moola, but now that the news is out that his management was being shady I have to apologize. I still don’t see how you can be completely oblivious to what is happening. I know for a fact he frequented the UG during the beginning of the whole debacle, how is it possible that he wasn’t in the least inclined to ask his people what was going on. Oh well, just hope he comes back soon. As his first fight I choose Tim Sylvia.
I want to see Vera vs. Monson or Vera vs. Kongo
[quote post=”2858″]If Vera was to fight Crocop he would get mauled badly,Crocop is a bad fight for him,I cant wait to see some of these crazy matchups that are gonna have to start happening now. [/quote]
Vera is every bit as well rounded as GG. I see this fight going down the same way. Vera has way more ways to win. We haven’t seen Brandon against the top guys yet,but I think we’ve seen enough to say he isn’t going to get mauled.
I think his first fight should be with his former manager for keeping him away from UFC for so long.
[quote comment=”114724″]I don’t even want to see sylvia die. I just don’t want to see him period! Vera vs arlovski is going to be great. I think arlovski days are gone. Arlovski to me is only mid-tier because there are some many new talent brought in to ufc this year due to pride collapse. Vera at most is mid-tier for now but has potential to climb. I have doubt about arlovski. People that can’t even beat sylvia should start from the bottom up.[/quote]
Yeah but Arlovski is still young, I think he’s 27?
I dont see this guy getting out of November
[quote comment=”114758″][quote comment=”114637″]Ehhhh….. This guy sure talks up all the big names that he thinks he deserves to fight. He better prove something soon, because he’s only been up against mid-tier fighters anyway.[/quote]
So who the hell is he supposed to fight? You criticize him for his level of competition, yet you don’t think he deserves to step up in class.
He’s crushed mid-tier fighters that he’s faced. The guy has serious skills. He’s won Muay Thai and BJJ tourneys. I’m not sure how he’ll cope when he’s in a high profile fight, but we need to find out.[/quote]
I agree completely that he should be getting bigger fights, and that Arlovski rumor would be a great test.
I just didn’t care much for him throwing around names like Cro Cop and Chuck and maybe even Fedor- from a quote I read from him. A fight with Arlovski would give him room to talk about these guys for sure.
Vera is the most over-rated, cocky, arrogant, jack*ss. I can’t wait to see him get crushed by the real fighters he’s been avoiding all this time by not fighting.
Tim Sylvia would destroy him.
Justin Eilers rematch would be tight. Maybe the first UFC death
I think it was a good move 4 vera stay in th ufc,cause he will evetually get the big bucks.Vera i think is one of the best mma fighters right now,I personally think he would kick a lot of top knotch fighters asses.Those of u that think anybody will maul that man doesnt know squat,as far as ive seen he does all the ass whoopin.When the big fights 4 him come whatch out.
[quote comment=”115600″]Vera is the most over-rated, cocky, arrogant, jack*ss. I can’t wait to see him get crushed by the real fighters he’s been avoiding all this time by not fighting.
Tim Sylvia would destroy him.[/quote]
is that so,thats why silvia hardly won that fight against silva,vera smashed him.
Brandon Vera, Over-rated?
[quote comment=”114667″]Vera would crush Liddell![/quote]
yo, that’s right, vera will crush liddell!!!
[quote comment=”115600″]Vera is the most over-rated, cocky, arrogant, jack*ss. I can’t wait to see him get crushed by the real fighters he’s been avoiding all this time by not fighting.
Tim Sylvia would destroy him.[/quote]
let’s see who will win the fight!!! i am pretty sure that vera will crush sylvia!!!
Vera needs to fight the guy who beat tim sylvia .