Brandon Vera: Striking is Like Ballet
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 30, 2009 1:38 PM EDT
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PrintWhile the Karate expert and current UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida likens striking to chess, Brandon Vera sees it slightly differently. The Muay Thai fighter compares striking to ballet:
I enjoy standing. A lot of UFC fans love to see a standup fight, and standup is beautiful. When people [strike] right, it looks like ballet. Any time you get two guys that know what they're doing, and they do beautiful standup together, it's like ballet.
While Brandon Vera defeated Krzyzstof Soszynski decisively, he admittedly doesn't think that it looked much like ballet just yet. A reason for this, was because he was trying to perfect a new part of his game - Fighting in southpaw:
It was I guess trying to fight southpaw. Being in a southpaw stance, making it happen from that stance, imagine learning to fight in six weeks. When we found out we were fighting Krzysztof, we decided, '[Expletive] it; let's fight him southpaw.' I'm not worried about him coming after me. I'm not worried about him taking me down. I'm not worried about anything. Let's fight him southpaw, and let's see what happens.
There isn't a better opponent to try it against then Krzysztof. He's durable. He's tough. He's going to keep coming forward. With everybody you have to worry about getting knocked out, but I wouldn't have tried that [expletive] on Anderson Silva. So it worked, and it didn't work at the same time. I landed some beautiful combinations, some good stuff. I tried some new things.
Brandon Vera is right when he said that it worked and didn't work at the same time. At some parts of the fight, he looked fluid, technical, and very hard to hit, but at times, he looked a bit tentative and gun shy. It may not be his best performance to date, but it was a fight where he showed lots of improvement on other facets of his game.
If a more improved skillset is what he needs to live up to his potential, and turn into a beautiful balerina of destruction, then I'm all for it.
HT: MMA Junkie
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Really got a hardon for this guy, eh?
I’m through with giving Vera 2nd chances.
Keep firing Assholes!
ZE GOGGLES! ZAY DO NOZING!!!!
by Ubernoober on Aug 30, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I thought Weo came across as unbiased, don’t see how this qualifies him as having a “hardon” for him. Now, Weo’s comments on the other hand… lol
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Aug 30, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
i tried to take away any kinds of biases on the piece man..
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 30, 2009 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
and i honestly think there wasn't any, so i don't know what you are talking about.
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 30, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Nothing to do with the piece, just your love of Vera.
Keep firing Assholes!
ZE GOGGLES! ZAY DO NOZING!!!!
this kinda makes me get how SuPreMaCy feels..
i was totally impartial here, yet someone brings up “yeah, you’re a Vera nut”.. hahaha.
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 31, 2009 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Admit it, you love Vera because he is so pogi…
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
But you keep making that the result of losing every bet…you seem fascinated with it…are you not telling us something weo? =D
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
No wonder, he danced all night instead of trying to finish.
by cyph on Aug 30, 2009 2:29 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
i agree
what combinations is he talking about? he seemed really uncomfortable and awkward throwing punches….. i just don’t get it
by cagefightonacid on Aug 30, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Vera explains it pretty well in the quotes in this article, whats not to get?
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Aug 30, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
what i don’t get is fighting southpaw and acting like anderson silva, dropping his hands and dancing around. it seemed forced and dangerous.
by cagefightonacid on Aug 31, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions
If the Brandon Vera that fought the first cut down to 205 fought last night rather than the one we got to see…he would have lost. Vera’s got it, he just needs to keep working and get it to show.
I don’t like him that much, but I can appreciate his skills. I think this is because I never bought the hype in the first place, and don’t fall into the crowd of people who thought he was the next big thing before he went on that slump.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Aug 30, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
His whole thing about trying to fight southpaw reminded me of that scene in the Princess Bride when Wesley told Montoya, “I have news for you – I’m not left-handed either”.
by INGO B on Aug 30, 2009 6:21 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Vera to Mark Dion:
“My name is Brandon Vera, you killed my career. Prepare to die.”
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Aug 30, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And then they’d fight, but Vera wouldn’t finish him.
Naw, I’m just playing. I love Vera.
...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
Vera disappointed me in this fight. I’m a huge fan as I gotta support my fellow Filipinos, but it looked like he was more willing to outpoint K-Sos instead of actually trying to finish.
by filipinomix2oo0 on Aug 30, 2009 10:18 PM EDT reply actions
I thought that he was trying to showcase his boxing skills more instead on focusing on kicks, and that
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 31, 2009 2:12 AM EDT up reply actions
oops, posted too early..
…focusing on kicks, and that Brandon kinda mentioned that too in this interview..
he was frustrated when K-sos wouldn’t come in like he was expecting. he tried to bait him in, but it didn’t work and it looked real awkward..
by Anton Tabuena on Aug 31, 2009 2:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I did see that interview. Even if he was trying to showcase his boxing, it still wasn’t pretty. I dunno man, it’s just real frustrating to watch this guy right now. He’s trying to be a counter-fighter, except he’s not really countering with much.
by filipinomix2oo0 on Aug 31, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I will never again be excited for a Brandon Vera fight
The guy has zero killer instinct
Vera looked sharp
Vera looked sharp and accurate and his smirk was gone. He looked FOCUSED, and I picked K-Sos to win, but the killer instinct was definitely there. Id like to see Vera vs. Thiago next, that would be exciting.
by RickDickulous on Aug 31, 2009 1:38 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
He looked FOCUSED, and I picked K-Sos to win, but the killer instinct was definitely there.
What a RickDickulous statement! Vera showed NO killer instinct in that fight. K-Sos was slow and awkward and even then Vera wasn’t engaging to finish the fight. Vera looks shell-shocked, and from what, I don’t know.
by MMAEruption on Aug 31, 2009 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Dude, Vera’s my boy and all, but what killer instinct are you referring to? Other than the hard body kick he threw early in the 1st, he didn’t throw much of anything with any power behind it.
by filipinomix2oo0 on Aug 31, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
I was saying over and over for him to throw more of those body kicks. He only threw 2 and they both landed really hard. Also its crazy to me how small he looks compared tot he other fighters. He looks smaller than the middleweights…
I believe he states in the post fight conference that they wanted to showcase his hands so the gameplan was not to throw a lot of kicks. He wanted to get the KO with his hands, but said that he should have thrown more kicks. I like where his head is at and I REALLY like that he seems to have dropped his ego a lot of levels.
by CliChe Guevara on Aug 31, 2009 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions
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