UFC Likely To Rescind Brandon Vera's Release With Additional Scrutiny Of Thiago Silva's Post-Fight Drug Test! Brandon Discusses The Controversy, His Recovery From Silva's Nose Smashing, and His Future Plans.
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| We would like to see Brandon Vera return to the UFC like Hulk Smashing! |
Light heavyweight Brandon Vera is still a UFC fighter.
Vera (11-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was cut by the promotion this past month following his third consecutive loss, which came against Thiago Silva (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 125.
However, it has been learned that the result of that bout is expected to be changed to a "no contest" following additional scrutiny of Silva's post-fight drug test, and the promotion has rescinded Vera's release, sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
As of now, Vera merely is back on the roster and does not have a pending booking. Until this past week, he was medically suspended for a broken nose he sustained in the third round of the Silva fight, which took place Jan. 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
MMAjunkie.com earlier reported that the Nevada State Athletic Commission still is processing the drug-test results for one of the athletes who competed on the Jan. 1 event, and that athlete is believed to be Silva.
If Silva is confirmed to have failed his post-fight drug test, the NSAC is likely to issue him a suspension and fine, as well as changing the result of the Jan. 1 fight to a "no contest."
The Brazilian slugger was set to meet Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 130 but since has been replaced by Matt Hamill.
Vera spoke about his struggles to return to form as the fight with Silva approached and knew he was in a make-or-break situation.
"When I first came in here as a young kid, guns blazing, you learn a lot," Vera told MMAjunkie.com at the pre-event press conference for UFC 125. "Life experiences, fighting experiences, I've learned a lot.
"My team got on me. My coaches got on me. People smacked me around and told me to get it together. I think I got it together."
Unfortunately, things didn't go Vera's way during the fight. Silva dominated the fight when it hit the mat and earned a unanimous-decision win with two scores of 30-27 and one of 30-26.
Vera made his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 2 as a heavyweight and quickly racked up wins over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva, Justin Eilers and Fabiano Scherner. But he hit a roadblock with back-to-back losses against Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum, and shortly afterward, he dropped to the light-heavyweight division. There, he met mixed results with a record of 3-1 before his recent slide.
by Ben Fowlkes | 1/7/11 12:10 PM | source: mmafighting.com |
"It kind of bugged me, only because we all fight, and just losing alone is humiliating enough," Jones said. "It's embarrassing. If someone ever did that to me, where they would beat me like that and then drum on my back, I would be humiliated. Just absolutely humiliated."
Such are the peculiarities of mixed martial arts. Smashing Vera's nose is to be expected. It's one of the risks you take when you step in the cage, and everyone realizes it. But to be essentially mocked on live TV, that's something most fighters assume they won't have to deal with.
As Jones explained it, it wasn't just Vera who Silva was insulting when he alternated between drumming on Vera's back and slapping his ear in the third round of their bout.
"Think about all the people who watched those fights. All his fans, all the members at his school, all the kids that look up to him. Man, it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It's not something I would ever want done to me and it's not something I would ever do to someone else."
Such are the peculiarities of mixed martial arts. Smashing Vera's nose is to be expected. It's one of the risks you take when you step in the cage, and everyone realizes it. But to be essentially mocked on live TV, that's something most fighters assume they won't have to deal with.
As Jones explained it, it wasn't just Vera who Silva was insulting when he alternated between drumming on Vera's back and slapping his ear in the third round of their bout.
"Think about all the people who watched those fights. All his fans, all the members at his school, all the kids that look up to him. Man, it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It's not something I would ever want done to me and it's not something I would ever do to someone else."
Thiago Silva's Explanation: I threw slaps to set up a submission
“I threw some slaps just to get him to lose focus"
