UFC 125: Will “The Truth” About Brandon Vera Be Revealed Against Silva?

Believe it or not, fight fans have another UFC pay-per-view event on the horizon, even though UFC 124 was less than three weeks ago.

While everyone is fired up about the heavily anticipated rematch of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard, with the lightweight title on the line this time, there are several other intriguing fights on the card.

One of which has Brandon “The Truth” Vera going toe to toe with Thiago Silva.

Silva has done a commendable job in the light heavyweight division since making his UFC debut in 2005. 

He has gone 14-2, with an incredible 11 victories by knockout.  Being of Brazilian heritage, it is little surprise that Silva has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 

However, more often than not it has been his boxing and Muay Thai skills that has left his opponents looking at the arena lights when it was all said and done.

Silva’s bout against Vera will only be his fourth in two years, suffering both of UFC losses in his past three fights. 

Lyoto Machida knocked Vera out at the end of the first round in January of 2009, and then lost a unanimous decision to Rashad Evans in January of 2010.

Also note that Silva scored an impressive knockout victory over Keith Jardine in between these two losses, and certainly Machida and Evans are no pushovers. 

Still, this shows that Silva has a ways to go before he is competing for the light heavyweight belt.

Brandon Vera also has 16 professional fights written into the record books heading into this one, building up an 11-5 record with an almost equally impressive seven wins by knockout.

Vera also favors boxing and Muay Thai, and additionally likes to incorporate wrestling into his fights.

The difference maker in this one could be the fact that Vera has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, meaning that he is likely going to be outmatched by Silva when this one goes to the ground. 

Vera is also in the midst of the worst stretch of his career, with all five of his professional losses coming in his past eight fights.

“The Truth” got exposed by the likes of Tim Sylvia, Fabricio Werdum, Keith Jardine, Randy Couture, and Jon Jones.

So as in Silva’s case, it’s not like he got pounded by a bunch of nobodies.

This still puts him in a precarious position though, as this fight is a must win for Vera to just remain relevant in the light heavyweight division. 

It is tough to question Vera’s decision to drop from heavyweight to light heavyweight in 2008, but as of right now he is actually doing a lot worse at the lower weight class.

If he should lose to Silva, he may want to seriously consider bumping back up, as losing six of nine should be a wake up call for the 33 year old Norfolk, Virginia native.

To his credit, Vera is yet to get knocked out cold (although 2 TKO losses), so there is a decent chance he can trade shots with Silva effectively in this fight. 

Expect Vera to be competitive in this one, but in the end, Silva’s superior submission skills should lead him to a victory to get him back on track in the light heavyweight division.

Vera has not looked dominant in the UFC for a while, and in all likelihood, Silva is not the guy that will allow him to change this trend.