Vera: My head got big, needed popping, got popped
“I remember being off in my own world while he was throwing elbows. He was missing and I was holding…
“I remember being off in my own world while he was throwing elbows. He was missing and I was holding his wrist and thinking, ‘Geez, all the hype is about you? Really? This is what you have to offer on the ground? Really?’
“And I remember saying, ‘You F—-n’ and then I said, ‘suck’ but before I said ‘suck,’ an elbow came down in my face, and smashed my face. That’s when I realized right then and there, ‘That’s what you get, you bastard. That’s what you get for thinking you’re so ahead of the game. That’s what you get.’ For sure I didn’t respect him the way I should have. It was a hard thing to learn, but I promise I learned that one.”
“The fights seemed to come easy. It just seemed to be easy. I was in there training hard, going in and knocking someone out real quick. Training hard, going in and knock somebody else out real quick. I guess my arrogance caught up to me. My head got real big, and someone had to pop it. Too bad someone had to pop my face. But it’s popped. I’m back, my head’s level and I’m ready to go.”
“I appreciate they didn’t give me a gimme. They gave me a chance to come back into the UFC and prove myself, make sure I’m worth what I’m worth.”
“When I first came in here, I was a young kid, guns blazing. You learn a lot. Life experiences, fight experiences. I’ve learned a lot. If I had to go through it right now I’d wind up writing you guys a book. I’ve learned a lot. My teammates 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 and I’m ready to show it.”
Brando Vera fights Thiago Silva tonight at UFC 125