It?s no secret that Brandon Vera is an incredibly talented fighter. But what has become a mystery is his lack of aggression inside the cage.
Since a brief layoff due to management issues in 2006, Vera has returned and finds himself at 3-4 inside the Octagon and seemingly afraid to pull the trigger. Losses to Tim Sylvia, Fabrico Werdum, Keith Jardine and a controversial decision loss to Randy Couture have done little to increase his status to anything above ?prospect?.
Vera takes another shot at climbing the UFC ladder when he faces true light heavyweight prospect Jon Jones at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado Sunday night.
Like a beauty pageant contestant Vera continues to say all the right things heading into his fights. But until that translates into results, fight fans are skeptical of his ability to turn around his disappointing body of work.
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In hindsight, Vera?s biggest win came against a post-motorcycle accident Frank Mir who resembled ?Fat Elvis? more than his current self. UFC president Dana White has said that this Sunday?s bout is more ?important? for Vera. With his track record of losing meaningful fights, The Truth?s UFC career path is in question.
Jones enters this contest with a world of confidence. Coming off the most impressive loss in UFC history, in which he absolutely man handled wrestling powerhouse Matt Hammill prior disqualification for an illegal elbow, it?s with good reason. While still new to the UFC, Jones has shown a maturity in his game that is unrivaled by any 22-year-old fighter in recent memory.
He brings an unusual striking style to the cage that will be difficult for any opponent to prepare for. Combine that with a strong wrestling background and a gas tank to match and Jones appears to have everything future champions are made of. Oddly enough, it?s the exact same position Brandon Vera was in four years ago.
It would be very surprising if this fight didn?t end on the floor. Jones holds enough of an advantage in the wrestling department to get this fight to the canvas and, from a technical standpoint, Vera holds a decided advantage on the feet.
With everything mentioned above, Brandon Vera is very talented and has some of the best Muay Thai you will see in the division. This fight will ultimately turn into a battle of Jones?s wrestling versus Vera?s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from the guard.
Vera is very talented on the floor and this fight will be much closer than the odds would indicate. However, in the end it will be Jones who leaves with a second-round stoppage of Vera.
Fans will be able to watch UFC on VERSUS 1: Jones vs. Vera on the Versus Network in the United States and on ROGERS SPORTS NET in Canada, with live coverage kicking off at 9 p.m. ET.
UFC on Versus 1: Jones vs. Vera picks
Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera: Jones (-240) - Try as I might, I simply can?t pick Vera to win this fight. He has the tools but will fall short again.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga: Dos Santos (-225) - When this matchup was first announced, I thought Gonzaga might have an outside shot. However, this event is taking place in Colorado so in the unlikely event that the fight were to enter Round 2 or make it to the floor, Gonzaga will not have the gas to compete.
Paul Buentello vs. Cheick Kongo: Kongo (-412) ? This bout, much like the Dos Santos-Gonzaga fight, will be a long night for the underdog. Look for Kongo to use this fight as a chance to showcase and work his ground game.
James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara: Sakara (+105) - Sakara will find a way to win this fight. Irvin is quite possibly the unluckiest guy in the sport. Coming off suspension and ring rust will compound the issue for the ?Sandman?.
Brenden Schaub vs. Chase Gormley: Gormley (+190) ? Coming off his loss to Roy Nelson in the TUF 10 Finale, Schaub is getting the runner up treatment. Chase Gormley poses an interesting test for Schaub. Gormley is a strong fighter, who is well rounded and an excellent test for the former football player. Schaub?s path to victory is clear: stand up and knock Gormley out. I think Schaub will be taken down early and often and find himself on the losing end of a lackluster decision.
