LOS ANGELES – Generally speaking, UFC light heavyweight Brandon Vera (12-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) said he's not a "moral victory" kind of guy.
But after going toe to toe with MMA legend Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (21-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) for the better part of four rounds, Vera admits there's simply no way he can be ashamed of his efforts.
Vera was a decided underdog heading into Saturday night's main-event tussle at Los Angeles' Staples Center. With just one UFC win in the past three years, many MMA pundits openly questioned why Vera was even in the headlining bout to begin with, and they certainly didn't understand why UFC President Dana White was willing to potentially give Vera a shot at the title had he won in impressive fashion.
But Vera, who has often been gun-shy in recent appearances, moved forward throughout the fight and fired off punches and kicks with bad intentions. While MMAjukie.com awarded Rua the first three rounds of the fight, "The Truth" remained competitive throughout each of the entertaining frames.
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"Brandon Vera came to fight tonight, and he looked awesome," White said after the bout.
The end came in the fourth round when a tiring Rua mustered up the energy to unleash a powerful barrage of punches, and Vera was finished off when Herb Dean stepped in to save him with 51 seconds left in the round.
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"I don't remember the TKO," Vera said. "I don't remember what he hit me with, but I remember he hit me once, and my mouthpiece kind of came half out. I tried to fix it real quick, and he hit me with another shot. Next thing I knew, Herb was saying, 'Are you OK?'"
It was a disappointing end to the night for Vera, who had promised to shock the world. Still, it seemed that MMA fans and pundits alike were generally offering high praise for the effort. And while it wasn't the signature victory for which he hoped, Vera said it may still serve as a turning point in his career.
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"For a long time, I started taking my job in the UFC for granted," Vera admitted. "I stopped training like I was fighting against the best guys in the world. I figured that just me being Brandon Vera, people would be nervous, and when I'd fight them, they'd back off. It's not like that here. This is a place of champions.
"It's been a hard-knock lesson, but I learned it. I had a great time fighting tonight. I'm just going to press forward with it."
Vera won't be getting a title shot in his next outing. That honor went to Lyoto Machida, who knocked out Ryan Bader in the evening's co-main event. But for a man who was temporarily off the UFC roster in 2011, the effort served as a reminder of what he still hopes to accomplish in the octagon.
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"There was a lot of trash coming out of people's mouths," Vera said. "People forget real quick. Tonight, I wanted to put on the performance of my life. I got to fight one of my heroes and fight somebody I looked up to since before I even got in the game.
"I'm not done, man, not by a long shot. My book's still open. I'm still writing chapters. I'm going to make this happen. I'm going to get that damn title shot one way or another."
And while he falls to just 1-3 in his past four official UFC outings, Vera's effort ensured he will fight again for the world's largest MMA promotion.
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"Are you out of your mind?" White asked when questioned as to whether there was any chance Vera might be released from the UFC. "Stupid question of the year award right there."
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There are many paths to freedom....not all are peaceful.
He made me an official fan....maybe a fight with bonnar or Griffin? I know it's a step back, but I'm sure he could put on a clinic against a name opponent to build his confidence back up. I would have loved to see him retire Rampage as well. Lots of good fights in store for Vera.
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You can't process me with a normal brain! ~The Sheen
"I don't call the fighting in my films 'violent', I call it 'action'. An action film borders between fantasy and reality. If I were to be completely realistic in my films, you would call me a violent, bloody man. I would simply destroy my opponent by tearing his guts out. I wouldn't do it so artistically." ~Bruce Lee
He made me an official fan....maybe a fight with bonnar or Griffin? I know it's a step back, but I'm sure he could put on a clinic against a name opponent to build his confidence back up. I would have loved to see him retire Rampage as well. Lots of good fights in store for Vera.
Same here. I always found his little dance annoying (although I hate when people celebrate too much after wins). Showed a lot of heart last night and could have won if he turned up the pressure a bit the several times he had Shogun hurt. Either way, that fight was a classic.
Match-ups going forward that would benefit Vera to me look like, Bonnar, Diabate, Maldonado....or how about a 205 Gilbert Yvel or a bout in SF vs. Mousasi given the exposure Vera's received from FOX last night?
__________________ MY MMA RANKINGS
HW Velasquez Cigano Werdum Cormier Bigfoot Barnett Mir Browne Nelson
LHW Jones Machida Evans Hendo Davis Goose Teixeira Shogun Mousasi Bader
Following UFC on Fox 4 fight, Brandon Vera, Dana White say 'The Truth' here to stay 
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