Proud Filipino Vera looking for two wins on Saturday

[Clark Kent]

11-13-2009 11:55 AM:

It's going to be a long night tomorrow for Brandon Vera in Manchester, England. Vera is hoping to nail one of the biggest wins of career against Randy Couture at UFC 105 and follow it up by watching another W from one his heroes Manny Pacquiao. Pacman battles Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Vera is fired up to watch his Filipino brother go for a world title in a seventh weight class:

“I want to get business out of the way, then I can still watch the Pacquiao fight. I'm hoping I will be able to watch it. I love watching Pacquiao fight," Vera told Gareth A. Davies from The Telegraph. "I think he'd make a brilliant mixed martial artist - he's one of those guys who'd be a brilliant sportsman at whatever he took up."

​

Vera is 100-percent an MMA backer but everyone with Filipino blood is a Manny backer:

"I’m not really a big fan of boxing, but I’m a fan of Manny Pacquiao. He is a phenomenal athlete. If you’re a professional athlete yourself, you have to admire his qualities. He’s one of those guys whose opponents realize how good he is when they wake up on the canvas standing over them. He’s that quick."

​

Vera is a first generation American but as you can tell, very proud of his Filipino heritage. Much of that comes from his father Ernesto:

"What does it mean to be Filipino? No matter what odds you're up against, no matter how bleak it looks, if you keep pressing forward, it's bound to get better no matter what. My Dad came over with nothing and ended up owning seven restaurants. He made the American Dream happen with nothing. That's what it means to me."

Vera wants to follow in the footsteps of his father and Pacman. He like to take it one step further and help bring a UFC event to the Philippines:

“Man, I would not let the UFC have an event there without me on it. That is one huge motivating factor for me going forward knowing that I might be able to fight there. I’d want all my family to come."

​

Vera will either be nursing his wounds or at the end of long stint of partying when the boxing match starts at approximately 4 a.m. in Manchester.



More...
Yahoo! Sports.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.