Nearly seven years to the day of Brandon Vera's last UFC fight, "The Truth" reflects on his parting words to UFC President Dana White.
Vera left the UFC in 2014 following consecutive losses to Ben Rothwell (August 31, 2013) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (August 4, 2012). The reigning ONE heavyweight champion recently caught up with Fightful and reflected on his last conversation with White.
"I told him, I said, 'The only reason why you get away with what you get away with is because you sign the checks. Other than that, man, we wouldn't put up with this shit.' I apologize for cussing but that's how it was," Vera explained.
"I'm glad I got to have my peace. I'm glad I got to say what I wanted to say because the way they talk to people, the way they treat people. I don't know. You wonder who he thinks he is. Money don't make you a man. It doesn't make the man. There was something off about him, the way the vibe was," Vera continued. "You could see longtime people leaving. It's the same story every time someone leaves. They can finally breathe and tell their story. It's always the same."
Vera, the reigning ONE heavyweight champion, was once considered among the UFC's top prospects. He was 8-0 with a victory over Frank Mir — at the time a former UFC heavyweight champion — heading into a 2007 clash with Tim Sylvia. "The Truth" received the first blemish of his professional career and would go on a 4-7-0-1 run before leaving the promotion. Vera found green pastures with ONE Championship, winning his first four fights under the ONE banner and becoming the promotion's heavyweight champion.
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates and predictions.
