The Truth Is Dead or Why Brandon Vera Has Become a Stepping Stone for Jon Jones
by Mike Fagan on Mar 21, 2010 11:46 AM EDT
in MMA News
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Recent history does not favor Brandon Vera. Just ask "Babalu" Sobral. Or Mike Brown. Or "Minotauro" Nogueira.
All three fought meteoric prospects. All three are on the wrong side of 30. All three needed to be scraped off the mat.
In mere hours, Brandon Vera steps in with Jon Jones, a 22 year old Greco-Roman killer. Brandon Vera is 32 years of age. Do you see what I'm suggesting here?
In 2006, Vera stopped Frank Mir in just over a minute, acquiring the title of Next Big Thing in heavyweight MMA. The honeymoon didn't last long. Vera found himself entrenched in a contract dispute with Zuffa, counting his proverbial eggs before they hatched. He returned just under a year later, and the MMA world still wonders when he's coming back.
Vera is in serious danger of becoming Jon Jones's Frank Mir. "The Truth" has logged 86 minutes in the Octagon since the Mir fight. He's looked impressive for five of those minutes, and that's being generous.
Each time out, Vera hypes a new twist on the same story. He's found his old self. He's ditched his old self, but found his new self. He's reinvented himself as a fighter. He's rediscovered his roots. Yet, we get the same Brandon Vera in the cage. Hesitant. Tentative. Second guessing.
This is the Brandon Vera that will step into the cage in Broomfield, Colorado; not the Brandon Vera who stopped four middling UFC heavyweights, the fighter anointed by God himself to wear UFC gold. That guy fell by the wayside long ago, if he ever existed. Now he's little more than a paschal lamb for Jon Jones's ascent to superstardom.
Jones is a hulk of a man: six-foot-four with an 85 inch reach and a sizable cut down to the 205 pound limit. For all intents and purposes, Jones is undefeated in ten fights, defeating four solid-if-unspectacular fighters in the Octagon in the process. Mate Brandon Vera's talents with an NFL linebacker's frame, sprinkle in the artist's creativity, and you have the Man They Call Bones.
Jones hasn't just beat people though. He's blown through them. He outstrikes people with much more impressive pedigrees. He tosses 215 pound men like bales of hay.
Where Vera is afraid or unwilling to attack, Jones is always on the offensive. There's a saying in the poker world: no limit hold'em rewards bold and aggressive play. Jones is the bold and aggressive player. He's betting, raising, daring you to show him a better hand. Vera's the weak-tight nit, always cursing his "bad luck".
That's what we'll see tonight on Versus. Jones will make Vera react to him. Jones will put Vera on the defense. Vera will be overwhelmed by offense, just like Joshua Clottey froze in the face of Manny Pacquiao's 1,200 punch onslaught. The truth hurts.
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on paper vera wins in real life jones wins
vera just isnt as good as he sounds like he is with his crisp muay thai, and good greco and bjj
i think bones jones absolutely dominates him i was barely an mma fan during veras rise to the near top of the heavyweight division so i never understood all the hype and talk about the guy
jones by tko round 2
Just wanted to say to Mike Fagan
You are the most sensible and logical MMA writer around. I always look forward to your articles
ouch
I like Vera. Always have. Unfortunately for him and his fans, I think you’re right.
by OZON3 on Mar 21, 2010 11:08 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I would be VERY surprised if Jones actually walks through Vera
like how a lot of you guys have been saying…
The Jon Jones hype train is almost as strong as Vera’s hate train, and it would be funny to see how everyone will react if Vera does beat Jones.
I like Jones, but the massive hype he is getting and the hate that Vera is getting makes me want Vera to make everyone eat their words.
I like jones too,
I am admittedly a huge Vera fan, but I am not distracted by hateglasses/nuthugger glasses to see that it would be really hard for Vera to win… That being said, I think this fight will be much tougher for Jones than people think, and I too will be laughing my ass off if Vera does pull it off.
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
The only way Vera wins is if all of Jones’ elbows quantum tunnel through Vera’s head.
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
I like Jones, and I like Vera too. I’m not completely sold on the Jones hype train, but I don’t think the old Vera is coming back. I really felt he should have been able to finish Couture, and he had his chances, but never did. I do think you’re right that Vera will be a tough fight for Jones. Jones will win by decision. If Jones walks right through Vera and dominates him, I will be impressed, because even if Vera ain’t the killer he used to be, he’s still a tough, tough fight. If Vera wins, well, to say that I’d be shocked would be an understatement. Really, I’d be happy if either guy won: I just hope if it goes to decision, we don’t get one of those f’d up decisions we’ve been seeing a lot of lately. Please MMA gods, I would like to see a no controversy finish to the fight.
I don't want to lick any butt. - GSP
Is this a joke?
“Jones hasn’t just beat people though. He’s blown through them.”
All I can think is that maybe you didn’t watch Jones’ previous fights beyond the highlights. His fight against Gusmao was a decision win that was hardly anything to write home about and Gusmao followed that up by being blasted into oblivion by Soszynski in round 1. Jones lost round 3 to Bonnar. Against O’Brien round 1 was close and by no means a blowout, btw O’Brien was barely able to defeat Christian Wellisch via split decision in his follow-up fight.
You just mentioned his only 2 decision victories...
He has a 80% finishing rate.
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
Right, but the point is that he hasn’t “blown through” everyone he has faced.
Much as the point that Vera beat “middling” fighters while Jones beat “solid-but-unspectacular” fighters fits right into the same trap that people keep falling into with this fight of phrasing things in ways that tilt perception. It’s the difference between hype and hate.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
In a way I feel bad for Jon Jones, the way things are going if he doesn’t win the LHW title within 12 months by knocking whoever holds the title into unconsciousness within 3 minutes he will be deemed a disappointment and failure.
Yeah, yesterday when he had that interview calling fans fickle….that was the first thing I thought was that he was covering his ass in case this Vera thing doesn’t work out in his best interests.
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
Ok, that makes sense then…
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
Whachootlakingabout?
He mentioned all of Jones’ wins in the UFC.
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
LOL i give up. I'm just gonna wait 10 hours or so and discuss this topic without any hype or hate.
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
he is goes to a decision 50% of the time in the UFC
Against less then stellar fighters.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
"Who was this prospect Babalu fought?"
Jason Lambert! >_>
by lightmyf1re on Mar 21, 2010 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
He’s still only 24, and if you go back to our predictions of the event something like 5 of 7 picked Babalu (yours truly picked Mousasi by dominating TKO). Maybe prospect isn’t the all-encompassing word for him, but that was the fight that vaulted him to legitimacy in the eyes of most people.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
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by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
This is a nice piece of literature...
it perfectly encapsulates the hype train. And I agree with almost everything written, especially the part describing Jones’s attributes. But, like all overblown hype, it relies entirely on comparing the likes of Hamill, Bonnar, and O’Brian with that of Brandon Vera. If Vera has a fault, it was not clearly articulated above — Vera’s only fault, so far, has been an inability to compensate for how the judges are scoring his fights.
If Jones pushes the pace, as has been suggested, he’s going to force an aggression from Vera that Vera has only briefly shown before. There have been flashes of this aggression, but I agree, Jones is going to be the man to release this aggression to the consequence of getting knocked out.
This is going to be one hell of an awesome fight!
Faber, Florian, Nick Diaz, 'Mayhem', Mousasi, Fedor
Jones is a hulk of a man: six-foot-four with an 85 inch reach and a sizable cut down to the 205 pound limit. For all intents and purposes, Jones is undefeated in ten fights, defeating four solid-if-unspectacular fighters in the Octagon in the process. Mate Brandon Vera’s talents with an NFL linebacker’s frame, sprinkle in the artist’s creativity, and you have the Man They Call Bones.
Jones hasn’t just beat people though. He’s blown through them. He outstrikes people with much more impressive pedigrees. He tosses 215 pound men like bales of hay.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
haven't even clicked, but i'm gonna guess thats old school superman music?
by Austin Martin on Mar 21, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Elvis Presley- Can’t Help Falling in Love (With lyrics)
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
This situation is a bit silly, imo. It reminds me a little bit of Machida era. Day before his fight with Shogun people were making fan posts about future of TMAs in MMA, somebody made up term “machidaness” to describe awesomeness. We saw what happened after the fight.
by dancingChicken on Mar 21, 2010 11:25 AM EDT reply actions
The Machida hype was justified...
he is the champion.
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not talking about the belt, but people’s reaction before and after…
by dancingChicken on Mar 21, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
MMA fans are fickle.
“Machida is awesome” one day, and “will be steamrolled by mousasi” the next day. *coughufc4cough
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
PS
ufc4, I may not agree with your Mousasi love, and Vera hate, but I still <3 you. ;)
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Thank you friend. But what’s wrong with Mousasi? I never said he’d “blow through” Machida and Rogerio or whatever you said (and BTW, I love both of those fighters as well) but I do think he could beat them. I might be wrong, but we will probably never find out so I guess it doesn’t matter.
you said Mousasi will beat both guys.
I strongly strongly strongly disagree with that. He would probably be outboxed by Lil’ Nog, and will most likely be eaten alive by Machida.
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Even Jones realizes this, I wonder if he is already envisioning the day when fans turn on him sine there is almost no possible way he can live up to the hype that has generated around him.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/3/20/1382710/quote-of-the-day-jon-jones-talks
I doubt it..
he’s 22, and hopefully people will understand even if he loses to Vera, or to the next guy they put against him….
unless I’m being naive, and I have too much faith in people. haha.
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I still use the term Machidaness!!!!!
The era isn’t over yet son!!!
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
IMO, the is more akin to before the Evans fight and I have similar feelings about Jones heading into this fight as I did with Machida in that one.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
One thing that really tips the balance for me is that Vera is essentially a finished product. I would be shocked if he came into this a much improved fighter. Whereas Jones is a kid, who’s just recently even begun training with a top camp. It’s a pretty even fight to me based on past performance, but Jon is at a point where enormous leaps of skill, strength and conditioning are to be expected. That’s the point that makes me think Vera is going to get flat out mauled.
by Kwisatz Haderach on Mar 21, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I have taken a" let's wait and see attitude."
This is the first legit striker Jones has faced. Vera is also the first Greco guy he has faced in the octagon. So far jones has been beating less then awesome fighters. If Vera really wants to be in the title picture this is his shot. I am reluctantly picking Vera. I am less impressed with Jones illegal spinning back elbow then everyone else.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
Right, but it’s not actually up for debate if he is a legitimate striker.
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MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Floyd Mayweather = AWFUL boxer
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by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Muay Thai fighters finish approximately 1/3 of their fights. Buakaw finished 47 out of 189 fights
by dancingChicken on Mar 21, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
thats only 1/4
yet he is considered that best eva!!! interesting….indeed
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
Yeah, but in general the trend is about 1/3. Dekkers has 1/2, Yodsaenklai 1/3, and so on…
by dancingChicken on Mar 21, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I am less impressed with Jones illegal spinning back elbow then everyone else.
I don’t get it?
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
His spinning back elbow that he landed on Bonnar and O’Brien was very close to being illegal due to where is landed on this opponent’s head, namely the back of the head. Some feel they are illegal.
Ok...that's what i figured but wanted to make sure...
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
I’m not sure a blow can be illegal when you throw it from striking distance and the opponent moves into it though.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Right...
much as you can’t have a point taken if you throw a knee and the other fighter ducks down into it and takes it in the crotch. The action can be stopped for recovery time, but you are not supposed to be penalized in that situation.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
jones circles behind to land the blow.
I think its cool. Just under the current rules its illegal. Maybe i am wrong, that happened once before.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
Not at all, he doesn't circle behind.
See:
The elbow is supposed to land on the side of the head and actually, that’s where it lands, if you consider what the “back of the head” means in MMA.
"You hit too hard, too hard, too hard..."
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the elbow that landed on O’Brien clip him on his forehead?
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
He’s talking about the one in the Bonnar fight.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Niles who I was responding to said “Bonnar and O’Brien” and Rayce below said the elbow lands on the back of the head almost everytime even though Bonnar is the only example of this happening that I can think of. Now don’t you ever sass me again lest you want to get handled mister!
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
his spinning elbow lands on the back7 of the head almost every time.
he is a good fighter and will go far. I just didn’t buy my ticket for this particular hype train.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
If he dismantles Vera i will be at the Ticket window though.
lol
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
youtube what buddy??
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
With everybody saying
How inexperienced and how overhyped Jones is how does a win over Jones do anything at all for Vera? From all the comments I’ve read in these articles people don’t think Jones is all that great after all so a win doesn’t do much for Vera in the grand scheme of things.
"I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I love, I will love with everything"
The Thinking Man
I love the photo of Brandon contemplating: ‘what the hell goes on in the mind of cecil peoples?’
Faber, Florian, Nick Diaz, 'Mayhem', Mousasi, Fedor
Although I think he won that fight, it’s plain stupid to let the fight go to a decision if you know that Peoples is in the house.
by dancingChicken on Mar 21, 2010 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
You can't let it go to the Judges with Randy Couture
PERIOD
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
LOL
Anton’s keyboard will be getting a serious work-out over the next 12 hours.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
by Damon O. on Mar 21, 2010 12:09 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
and the onslaught of Filipino pride that he's going to unleash on it.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
I'd probably just type,
“Go Canada!” and change my flag when Vera loses… but if he wins I will unleash all the “eat that!” comments to a lot of people. haha :D
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 21, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Mate Brandon Vera’s talents with an NFL linebacker’s frame, sprinkle in the artist’s creativity, and you have the Man They Call Bones.
Should read, “Mate Jon Jones’ talents…”
he is saying jones has all of vera's talent.
I dont think its true, But thats what he is saying.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
Small forward
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
When you've found your window seat in the dining car of the hype train...
nothing really needs to make sense anymore:
Vera is in serious danger of becoming Jon Jones’s Frank Mir.
Now he’s little more than a paschal lamb for Jon Jones’s ascent to superstardom.
Mate Brandon Vera’s talents with an NFL linebacker’s frame
It’s the hype train baby — and the bar is open!
Faber, Florian, Nick Diaz, 'Mayhem', Mousasi, Fedor
This is one of my biggest problems with a lot of sports fans.
So many of us are looking so hard for the next big thing that we latch on to anything that resembles it so we can say “I was a fan of _ from the beginning” .
by b2tharad on Mar 21, 2010 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
You know what
I’ve been watching MMA since UFC 1 so you can go fuck yourself.
And I was also at the TUF 1 finale.
Oh yeah!
I WAS the TUF 1 finale!
New Orleans Saints - 2010 Super Bowl Champions. Unbelievable. Who Dat.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Mar 21, 2010 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
And I knew BJJ before Royce Gracie!
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I taught Helio Gracie everything he knows. I have many lifetimes of learning.
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
I wasnt talking about MMA as a sport. I meant individual athletes. It seems like when someone new and exciting comes along you can divide fans up into two groups. Those that jump on the bandwagon and those that hate the athlete for the hype he gets. I just dont understand why we cant let nature take its course and see what happens. Very few ever live up to the hype in the long run.
Oh you were 100% right in my mind. It just opened up some funny jokes.
Everyone loves to be among the first to realize how great a fighter is. And a lot of people do let that cloud how they actually see fights going down.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 21, 2010 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't train UFC, I teach it!
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
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