Tag: Brandon Vera

UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera — The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly


Props: MMA Photoshops

In our efforts to give out high fives and bro grabs over how much fun Saturday night’s fights were, we missed the opportunity to give constructive criticism to some of the evening’s lowest moments. We’ll more than likely still miss out on the constructive criticism here, but sometimes there’s just no way to be helpful about something’s ugliness (no matter how hard you try to be). But before we get caught up in the negativity…

The Good:

Vera and Varner Impressive in Defeat. Before Saturday night, both men were expected to be little more than highlight reel fodder for their opponents. After they came up just short in two of the most competitive, entertaining bouts to be broadcast on Fox, it’d be too easy to make comparisons to Rocky. So instead of making one, I’ll just imply it – problem solved. A loss is never easy for either fighter to swallow, but it could have been much uglier.

Mike Swick’s Feel-Good Comeback Fight. Is it even possible not to feel good for Mike Swick? After losing his last two fights and spending over two years away from the sport, things were looking pretty grim for “Quick.” Watching DaMarques Johnson control Swick for the first round certainly didn’t brighten the mood, either. But if you know somebody who wasn’t cheering while Swick flawlessly finished Johnson, that person has no pulse. In fact, that “person” is probably a zombie. Act accordingly.


Props: MMA Photoshops

In our efforts to give out high fives and bro grabs over how much fun Saturday night’s fights were, we missed the opportunity to give constructive criticism to some of the evening’s lowest moments. We’ll more than likely still miss out on the constructive criticism here, but sometimes there’s just no way to be helpful about something’s ugliness (no matter how hard you try to be). But before we get caught up in the negativity…

The Good:

Vera and Varner Impressive in Defeat. Before Saturday night, both men were expected to be little more than highlight reel fodder for their opponents. After they came up just short in two of the most competitive, entertaining bouts to be broadcast on Fox, it’d be too easy to make comparisons to Rocky. So instead of making one, I’ll just imply it – problem solved. A loss is never easy for either fighter to swallow, but it could have been much uglier.

Mike Swick’s Feel-Good Comeback Fight. Is it even possible not to feel good for Mike Swick? After losing his last two fights and spending over two years away from the sport, things were looking pretty grim for “Quick.” Watching DaMarques Johnson control Swick for the first round certainly didn’t brighten the mood, either. But if you know somebody who wasn’t cheering while Swick flawlessly finished Johnson, that person has no pulse. In fact, that “person” is probably a zombie. Act accordingly.

Not giving title shots to guys who duck fights. Do you remember why Shogun vs. Vera was booked in the first place? If you said no, it’s because Rua wouldn’t fight Glover Teixeira. Dana White certainly didn’t forget about this – in fact, he brought it up when he was asked why Machida was given a title shot over Shogun after the event. If fans are calling for Anderson Silva to vacate the title because his management doesn’t want him fighting Chris Weidman, then there’s absolutely no reason to give a guy a title shot who refused to fight an up-and-coming prospect, plain and simple.

All things considered, these ratings were pretty good. Like everything else on tv Saturday night, UFC on Fox 4 still got squashed by the Olympics. Unlike everything else, ratings improved throughout the course of the evening. The actual numbers don’t tell the entire story: There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the ratings for future cards on Fox.

The Doctor’s Stoppage of Wagner Prado vs. Phil Davis. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than watching a doctor simply ask a fighter if he wants to continue before clearing him to fight. You’re there because you can tell when it isn’t safe for a fighter to keep fighting, even though he wants to continue. Letting a fighter continue who isn’t physically capable of safely doing so is not only blindly ignoring your own expertise, but also a completely reckless way to get somebody killed.

It wasn’t the popular decision – and certainly not the preferable one – but it was the right one. After Davis’ eye poke, Prado told the doctor that he was seeing double, and the fight was immediately stopped. Naturally, Prado protested the stoppage; no professional fighter wants to look soft, even if he can’t see. But there’s no sense putting an asterisk next to a victory for Phil Davis (not to mention the danger this would put Prado in). Live to fight again, guys.

The Bad:

Phil “The Shockmaster” Davis. He may share the “Mr. Wonderful” alias with professional wrestling icon Paul Orndorff, but after his last two fights, he might as well borrow one of Fred Ottman’s failed gimmicks due to how badly he’s been falling on his face. It’s bad enough to go from the main event of UFC on Fox 2 to the Fuel TV prelims, but when you give the fans the absolute worst ending of the night, you’ll need to break out something extra special to stay relevant in the upcoming rematch. Remember when we were saying this guy should fight Jon Jones? Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Ryan “What’s Wrestling?” Bader. You’re a 2x D1 All-American wrestler. You’re fighting an elusive, karate-based former champion. What’s your strategy? Stand and Wang until you’re confusing the arena’s lights for Heaven, of course. At least he had the decency not to cry about it, so…props?

Joe Rogan’s interpretation of “Poor Cardio” during Varner vs. Lauzon. About thirty seconds into the Fight of the Night earning scrap between Jamie Varner and Joe Lauzon, Joe Rogan began saying that Varner was completely spent and done for. Call me “logical,” but considering that Varner kept fighting (emphasis on fighting – this wasn’t three rounds of lay and pray) into the third round, despite breaking his hand in the second, I’d say Varner’s conditioning looked pretty damn good. It’s one thing to say a guy looks tired, it’s another thing to repeatedly swear that he’s finished as he’s coming forward being the aggressor. Then again, that was nothing compared to…

The Ugly:

Phil Davis loves choking out fools with…kimuras? An announcer at an amateur event would get mocked relentlessly for making such a remarkably stupid mistake. Mike Goldberg has zero excuse…not even “I’m Mike Goldberg.”

Whoever this Nam Famn guy is that we kept hearing about. At first, I assumed that there was an innocent slip of the tongue, and wrote it off as a mispronunciation that I won’t pretend I’ve never made. But then I kept hearing about this Nam Fanm guy, and realized that he couldn’t be Nam Phan. For one, Nam Fanm used his boxing to defeat former WEC champion Mike Brown, and Nam Phan lost to Brown. Also, this Nam Famn guy was never in the fight against Cole Miller, and was clearly blown out for three rounds judging by the commentary throughout the fight. Yet, Nam Phan won that fight – fairly convincingly, too.

Come on, Mike and Joe. You’re much better than this. If you won’t give a fighter any credit at all while he’s in the cage, can you at least pronounce his name correctly?

@SethFalvo

Armchair Matchmaker: UFC on FOX 4 Edition


(Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson combine their efforts to create not only the greatest punchface of 2012, but perhaps the greatest punchface of all time.) 

Aside from the disappointing and sudden end that came during the Phil Davis/Wagner Prado fight (which is tentatively being rescheduled for UFC on FX 5), last Saturday’s UFC on FOX event delivered in spades, featuring a main card that not only provided four highlight reel finishes for the night’s big winners, but a quartet of great fights that mainstream audiences had yet to witness on a FOX card. It more than likely came as a surprise to most of us that the card was as successful as it truly was, so with that in mind, we decided to dust off our beloved Armchair Matchmaker and pre-determine the fates of the aforementioned winners and losers from last weekend’s action. Enjoy, and let us know of any other possible matchups you’d like to see in the comments section.

Mauricio Rua: Despite smashing Brandon Vera’s title aspirations in rather brutal fashion, there is no denying that Shogun had some rather dicey moments leading up to the fourth round finish (that guillotine, for instance). After controlling Vera on the ground for the majority of the first, Shogun looked like he was fighting underwater by the end of the second. But as was the case in his previous loss to Dan Henderson, Shogun proved that what he lacks in cardio he more than makes up for in heart.

Still, it will take at least another “impressive” finish over an upper-echelon opponent before we are convinced that Shogun deserves another title shot. His total unwillingness to fight Glover Teixeira causes some pause for concern, and since it appears that Rashad Evans might be headed for 185 in the near future, we are left with only one suitable fit: Alexander Gustafsson. Last weekend basically cleared out the list of potential contenders at 205, and although we’d rather see Shogun and Lyoto Machida complete their trilogy for the right to take on the Bones/Hendo winner, we can’t hate on Dana White for following through on his promise. So if Rua/Gustafsson is all we’re left with, we’d be more than willing to watch these two throw down for a #1 contender spot. Let’s just hope Shogun packs his oxygen tank this time.


(Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson combine their efforts to create not only the greatest punchface of 2012, but perhaps the greatest punchface of all time.) 

Aside from the disappointing and sudden end that came during the Phil Davis/Wagner Prado fight (which is tentatively being rescheduled for UFC on FX 5), last Saturday’s UFC on FOX event delivered in spades, featuring a main card that not only provided four highlight reel finishes for the night’s big winners, but a quartet of great fights that mainstream audiences had yet to witness on a FOX card. It more than likely came as a surprise to most of us that the card was as successful as it truly was, so with that in mind, we decided to dust off our beloved Armchair Matchmaker and pre-determine the fates of the aforementioned winners and losers from last weekend’s action. Enjoy, and let us know of any other possible matchups you’d like to see in the comments section.

Mauricio Rua: Despite smashing Brandon Vera’s title aspirations in rather brutal fashion, there is no denying that Shogun had some rather dicey moments leading up to the fourth round finish (that guillotine, for instance). After controlling Vera on the ground for the majority of the first, Shogun looked like he was fighting underwater by the end of the second. But as was the case in his previous loss to Dan Henderson, Shogun proved that what he lacks in cardio he more than makes up for in heart.

Still, it will take at least another “impressive” finish over an upper-echelon opponent before we are convinced that Shogun deserves another title shot. His total unwillingness to fight Glover Teixeira causes some pause for concern, and since it appears that Rashad Evans might be headed for 185 in the near future, we are left with only one suitable fit: Alexander Gustafsson. Last weekend basically cleared out the list of potential contenders at 205, and although we’d rather see Shogun and Lyoto Machida complete their trilogy for the right to take on the Bones/Hendo winner, we can’t hate on Dana White for following through on his promise. So if Rua/Gustafsson is all we’re left with, we’d be more than willing to watch these two throw down for a #1 contender spot. Let’s just hope Shogun packs his oxygen tank this time.

Brandon Vera: Although we don’t need to reiterate that “The Truth” completely blew our expectations out of the water, we’re going to anyway. Anyone who predicted that Vera would put up as great a fight as he did against a beast like Shogun was either Negrodamus or a shut-in UFC fan who hadn’t seen Vera fight since UFC 65. If the Brandon Vera that showed up Saturday night continues to show up in the future, we are going to be in for some fantastic fights to put it simply. We’re sure he’d love a chance for revenge against noted “juice monkey” Thiago Silva, who was originally scheduled to face Rua at UFC 149, but Silva’s neverending back problems don’t give us much hope that he’ll be ready for action anytime soon. Given Vera’s stellar performance last weekend, we’d like to see him take a tough, but winnable matchup that will boost his confidence should he emerge victorious. Just 1-2 in his last three, Antonio Rogerio Nogueria seems like a perfect litmus test for Vera. Lil Nog packs a hell of a punch and a slick submission game to boot, yet hasn’t really convinced many fans that he is championship material in his past few octagon appearances. Sound familiar?

Ryan Bader: If Lyoto Machida is Johnny Cage (or more likely Liu Kang, but just set ethnicity aside for a moment), Ryan Bader is without a doubt the lumbering, stumbling four armed freak that Cage testicle-punched off the mountain top. Bader looked completely lost when forced to deal with Machida’s elusive style, and aside from abandoning his wrestling base, apparently became frustrated to the point that he decided bull rushing into Machida’s fist with his eyes closed would be the most dignified way out. A flawless victory for Machida it truly was. The loss puts Bader in a unique, if not scary position. On one hand, he can handily defeat 85 to 90 percent of the division’s challengers, but on the other, he has been absolutely schooled by the division’s elite…and Tito. It’s not quite gatekeeper status, but if Bader wants to launch himself back up the ranks, he will need a huge win to do so.

Although he doesn’t present as interesting a puzzle as Machida (then again, who does really?) James Te Huna would make for a great matchup. On the heels of a record setting performance against Joey Beltran, Te Huna’s UFC record now stands at 4-1, with three of those wins coming by some variation of a Falcon Punch. The New Zealander has shown some susceptibility to the takedown in the past, and a fight against Bader would tell us a lot about which direction both men are headed.

Joe Lauzon: After overcoming a few rocky moments against a former WEC champion, Lauzon delivered in the style he has become known for: exciting and decisive. Now the all time leader in performance bonuses, Lauzon has only seen the judge’s cards in defeat, which in and of itself should be commended. That being said, Lauzon’s standup game still has some significant holes (mainly, his defense and head movement) that need working on if he is to hang with some of the power punchers that reside at 155 lbs. If you’re looking for a fighter who would make for a great test of Lauzon’s all around game, look no further than Jim Miller. He came up short in his #1 contender bout with Nate Diaz, suffering the first submission loss of his career, and will be looking to rebound with a fury. Both men are upper-level lightweights that have fallen short in fights against the true contenders, and would make for a guaranteed FOTN were they to square off.

Jamie Varner: Although his comeback story hit a speedbump, there is no reason to knock Varner for his gutsy performance. He took the fight on short notice, fought until the very end, and even managed to drop Lauzon on a couple of occasions. Varner is a gamer, through and through, and once his hand recovers, he deserves a fight with a guy who brings the fight each and every appearance. The first name that pops into my mind is Sam Stout, who is fresh off a trilogy capturing victory over Spencer Fisher. Both men are excellent strikers who aren’t afraid to take a punch, and would make for a great addition to any card lacking fireworks.

Mike Swick: It may have taken him over two years to do so, but “Quick” put on a performance for the ages against Damarques Johnson, overcoming an early storm to emphatically show “Darkness” the irony of his nickname in the second round. At the risk of sounding cliche (not to mention ignoring a certain ban on the phrase), Swick looked like his old self last weekend, and we couldn’t be more happy for the guy. But given the time he has spent away from the octagon, we’d like to have him face another mid-level fighter before he is thrown to the contenders of the division. James Head is fresh off an upset victory over Brian Ebersole at UFC 149, and would definitely jump at the opportunity to knock off another big name like Swick. If that’s not quite the marquee matchup you’re looking for, a fight against Stephen Thompson, who just came up short against Matt Brown in a hell of a fight at UFC 145, would make for an interesting pairing.

Nam Phan: Here’s what we know about Nam Phan:
1. Dude throws some nasty body punches.
2. Dude makes for exciting fights in every appearance.
3. Dude cannot beat another dude convincingly inside of three rounds.

Do the judges have it out for this guy? We couldn’t be the only one’s who felt the Leonard Garcia decision creep into the back of our minds when it was announced that Phan’s victory over Cole Miller was a split decision. Although it’s a given that one out of three MMA judges is either mentally handicapped in some fashion or plain blind nowadays, Phan needs to start going for broke if he doesn’t want to find himself on the wrong end of a decision in the near future. We’d suggest that he square off against Manny Gamburyan, who also emerged victorious at the same event, to try and get a good finish under his belt. Manny is a tough, hard hitting former title challenger who just recently broke a three fight skid, so we’d like to see these two throw caution to the wind and let the fists fly.

Give us your thoughts on our matchups, as well as the ones you’d like to see for the rest of the night’s competitors, in the comments section. 

–J. Jones

2.36 Million Watch UFC on FOX Main Event


(UFC on FOX Main Event Fighters Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (L) and Brandon Vera | Photo Credit MMA Junkie)

So, we all know that Saturday’s UFC on FOX card was spectacular, with every main card bout (and many under card ones) being competitive and thrilling, but how did it fare in the ratings? Preliminary ratings from TV by the Numbers, show that the UFC ratings were relatively strong. The UFC on FOX peaked with a preliminary rating of 2.36 during the Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera main event.

The bad news for MMA partisans is that the UFC on FOX, like everything else on television Saturday night, got blown out of the water by the Summer Olympics. These are the highest-rated Olympics in history, so it is what it is.

The good news is that, in overall ratings and in the 18-49 year old demographic, the UFC on FOX telecast placed second to the Olympics in ratings every half hour they went head to head.


(UFC on FOX Main Event Fighters Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (L) and Brandon Vera | Photo Credit MMA Junkie)

So, we all know that Saturday’s UFC on FOX card was spectacular, with every main card bout (and many under card ones) being competitive and thrilling, but how did it fare in the ratings? Preliminary ratings from TV by the Numbers, show that the UFC ratings were relatively strong. The UFC on FOX peaked with a preliminary rating of 2.36 during the Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera main event.

The bad news for MMA partisans is that the UFC on FOX, like everything else on television Saturday night, got blown out of the water by the Summer Olympics. These are the highest-rated Olympics in history, so it is what it is.

The good news is that, in overall ratings and in the 18-49 year old demographic, the UFC on FOX telecast placed second to the Olympics in ratings every half hour they went head to head. That’s higher ratings than ABC’s airing of the critically and commercially successful feature film, Norbit, as well as whatever NYC 22 is on CBS. The 18-49 rating is coveted by networks and advertisers because I guess we are easily persuaded to buy stuff we don’t really need.

In any case, the UFC on Fox ratings did just what the fight promotion and network could have hoped they would do as the telecast went on. Ratings improved each half hour as, perhaps, word started getting around that the fights were exciting as all heck and a small portion of viewers decided that trained killers might be more interesting to watch than people swiping at plastic birdies, throwing hammers or whatever Olympic sports were on NBC Saturday night.

At 8:00pm, the UFC on FOX pulled a 1.91 rating against NBC’s Olympic coverage which garnered a 19.77 rating. Each half hour after that as they went head-to-head, the Olympics ratings increased but so did the UFC’s. The first two UFC on FOX events got 5.7 million and 4.7 million viewers, respectively. The previous one, featuring Nate Diaz beating Jim Miller, peaked at 2.4 million viewers.

Did you do your part, nation, and support the UFC on FOX Saturday night? If so, you’re no doubt the cool-guy or gal at the water cooler this morning. If you decided to watch teenagers in leotards jumping around instead, we understand where you’re coming from but that’s what DVRs are for. Live and learn.

– Elias Cepeda

Comment of the Week 7/30: And the Winner Is…


(Brandon Vera: Willing to take his licks in victory or defeat. Mainly defeat.) 

After collecting the top eight comments from last week and allowing you, the Potato Nation, to determine who was the funniest son of a bitch amongst you, it looks like we have a winner. With an astounding 38.5% of the votes, none other than Mr. Misanthropy’s Brandon “The Aloe” Vera comment ran away with the victory like it had just drank an entire crate of Powerthirst energy drinks. Although Vera’s fighting style was anything but soothing in his fourth round knockout loss to Mauricio Rua this past weekend, it was comments like that one that managed to finally light a fire under Vera’s ass, so an extra congrats is in order for Mr. Misanthropy’s last minute motivation.

Misanthropy (that is how you pronounce it, right?), please e-mail [email protected] with your real name, address, and shirt size, and we’ll get you hooked up ASAP. You can also rest assured that your comment WILL be carried over to next week’s competition as the reigning champion, but it’s looking like it will already be facing some stiff competition. Thanks to everyone who voted, and make sure to get in on the action by voting next week or, God forbid, coming up with something funny of your own!


(Brandon Vera: Willing to take his licks in victory or defeat. Mainly defeat.) 

After collecting the top eight comments from last week and allowing you, the Potato Nation, to determine who was the funniest son of a bitch amongst you, it looks like we have a winner. With an astounding 38.5% of the votes, none other than Mr. Misanthropy’s Brandon “The Aloe” Vera comment ran away with the victory like it had just drank an entire crate of Powerthirst energy drinks. Although Vera’s fighting style was anything but soothing in his fourth round knockout loss to Mauricio Rua this past weekend, it was comments like that one that managed to finally light a fire under Vera’s ass, so an extra congrats is in order for Mr. Misanthropy’s last minute motivation.

Misanthropy (that is how you pronounce it, right?), please e-mail [email protected] with your real name, address, and shirt size, and we’ll get you hooked up ASAP. You can also rest assured that your comment WILL be carried over to next week’s competition as the reigning champion, but it’s looking like it will already be facing some stiff competition. Thanks to everyone who voted, and make sure to get in on the action by voting next week or, God forbid, coming up with something funny of your own!

UFC on Fox 4 Results: Brandon Vera and the Also-Ran Attitude

Many pundits will try their best to tell you that sports are like life, that they teach lessons and build character. And that’s true in some ways—sports can teach you a lot, mostly about how much of your life you’re willing to devote to them.The …

Many pundits will try their best to tell you that sports are like life, that they teach lessons and build character. And that’s true in some ways—sports can teach you a lot, mostly about how much of your life you’re willing to devote to them.

The vast majority of us prefer sleeping in on weekends, eating at McDonalds instead of yet another grilled chicken breast, going to the movies instead of the weight room and quitting while others continue on.

Drive and desire do just as much as native athleticism to separate athletes from everyday citizens.

They are also the character traits that separate the great athletes, the winners, from the also-rans.

The best of the best have something burning inside of them, a need to win and impose their will. Michael Jordan had it. So do Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Winning and losing at sports is what defines their lives. They aren’t satisfied with moral victories. A moral victory isn’t even in the vocabulary of a winner.

That’s why, with due respect, Brandon Vera showed MMA fans exactly why he’s gone 4-6-1 in the UFC Octagon since he cockily told the world he was going to hold the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight championships at the same time.

Vera was practically gloating at the post-fight press conference after his fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Sure, he had lost two of the first three rounds and was knocked out in the fourth. But few expected him to do even that well. Against a flat-footed and slow Shogun Rua, he managed to survive a little longer that expected.

Many called it a “feel-good” performance. Clearly it felt good to Vera. You could practically see the joy, and the surprise, on his face every time he landed a blow, every minute that went by, each tick of the clock a feather in his cap.

He was never winning. Each little success was countered, often brutally, by the experienced Rua. To his credit, there weren’t any cringe-inducing moments either, the kind that have haunted Vera throughout his career. He lost, clearly and without controversy, but at least he never looked like a clown.

And that was enough for him. It was a moral victory and he celebrated like he had won the Super Bowl and three Olympic medals. He raised his hand in the air and told the assembled media it was “…for all the haters. You know which finger is yours.”

Imagine Michael Jordan celebrating a loss to the Pistons by telling himself that he “played hard.” Imagine Matt Hughes being smugly satisfied with a moral victory. That just doesn’t cut it for anyone who has the temperament and fighting spirit to truly be the best.

Sports are binary. There are two possible outcomes—winning or losing. Any other result might as well not count.

There are no moral victories. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a defeat, deconstruct it and use it to your advantage. You can learn plenty from a defeat. Everyone loses eventually, and the best come back from a setback mentally stronger than ever. But the most important and lasting lesson from a loss, at least for true champions, is to never to be satisfied with defeat.

Brandon Vera lost to Mauricio Rua. The fact that he celebrated that loss, that a competitive loss was enough for him, tells you everything you need to know about why Vera never has, and never will, meet the lofty expectations he set for himself at the outset of his career.

Vera is happy to be the valiant loser. That’s good enough for him. And that’s why Brandon Vera will never hold UFC gold. It’s not that he isn’t physically capable of it. It’s that he just doesn’t care enough. He’s satisfied with losing in style, an also-ran attitude that eventually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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UFC on Fox 4: Brandon Vera Shows He Can Still Compete with Best Despite Loss

Brandon Vera had a 1-2 record with one no-contest in the four fights leading up to his bout with Mauricio Rua on Saturday night. And while Vera suffered a TKO loss to “Shogun,” he showed tremendous heart and ability during the fight and definitely uppe…

Brandon Vera had a 1-2 record with one no-contest in the four fights leading up to his bout with Mauricio Rua on Saturday night. And while Vera suffered a TKO loss to “Shogun,” he showed tremendous heart and ability during the fight and definitely upped his stock in the UFC. 

Vera went toe-to-toe with Rua in one of the more entertaining fights of the year. It was a back-and-forth battle in which both guys were landing bombs and taking huge shots to do so. Vera could have wilted under a furious early barrage by Rua, but instead he stood tall and fought back. 

Though Vera clearly lost the opening round, he bounced back to take the second, landing a series of punishing kicks, knees and hooks. He was rocked early in the round, but came back and put together some outstanding combinations and really took it to Shogun for the majority of the round. 

Though I had the third as a 10-10 round, it could have easily gone either way. Again, both guys landed some spectacular shots while standing up. I was shocked they were able to stay on their feet that long.

In the fourth round, Rua finally got the better of Vera, flooring him with a devastating two-punch combination that no one could have recovered from.

Both fighters looked fatigued from the second round onward, but that was likely due to the amount of strikes being thrown. 

Vera had long been criticized for a lack of focus after his meteoric rise was derailed by a series of disappointing losses. While his record fell to 12-6 (with one no-contest) Saturday night, he earned the respect of anyone watching.

We’re likely to see Vera get another top-level fight in his next bout, thanks to his performance Saturday night.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com