Bold words, but ones Vera is backing up with his fists. In addition to the aforementioned quartet of wins, he’s defeated a host of quality contenders, including Sean O’Malley, since he joined the roster in 2014, and he’s doing what you want to see a fighter do as the stakes get higher – he’s getting better. And in his third consecutive headlining gig, he’s got another tough challenge in former title challenger Cory Sandhagen. It was a bout scheduled to take place last month in Las Vegas but was moved to Texas, a minor inconvenience for Vera, but one he was willing to make.
“I was f**king ready to go last week,” he said after the postponement. “My weight was low. I was ready in all matters – mentally, physically – and I was firing on all cylinders. But they asked me about it, and I said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s take the bigger, brighter stage.’ At the end of the day, you’ve always got to see the brighter side of things. It’s more time, maybe a little more time to do things better, get a little sharper, get a little busier. And I stayed training. I stayed thinking this is going to be the hardest fight of my life, like always, so I can get out of the bed motivated and ready to go.”
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Motivation has never been an issue for the 30-year-old. Whether it was getting surgery for his oldest daughter, providing a better life for her and her two siblings, as well as his wife, it’s always been about family for the Ecuador native. In the process, he’s become one of the best bantamweights in the world, and while he could have taken his foot off the gas a bit after his knockout of Cruz last summer and waited for a world title shot, Vera is a smart businessman, as well as a heck of a fighter, so he told the UFC to bring on all comers. He was ready.
