It was only a few years ago that words like “dynamic” and “explosive” were used to describe UFC light heavyweight
Brandon Vera. But four years and 11 UFC fights later, Vera is no longer the newest commodity on the circuit. Now, it’s
Jon Jones, a 22-year-old newcomer facing Vera at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21 in Broomfield, Colo., who earns those praises.
Victorious in three of his four UFC appearances, Jones moves like a fighter who’s mastered the fundamentals only to throw the rulebook out the window. He unleashes side and back kicks at unexpected moments; he catches opponents with sudden throws and tosses amidst quick, unorthodox footwork. It seems nothing about Jones is wholly conventional, which is a challenge when one is trying to pinpoint his weaknesses.
“The only thing that we can really find is his inexperience,” said Vera in a conference call this week. “His game is tight. His striking is good. His defense works good. We’ve been studying him for a while, and his biggest weakness is his inexperience. That’s the only X-factor in this game. Everything else is almost like a seasoned vet.”
Vera and his coaches at the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., have searched for the cracks in Jones’ armor. Vera believes that they are there, waiting to be exposed.
“Nobody’s ever been able to push Jones,” said Vera. “He said he’s trying to stay comfortable and relaxed in the ring.”
The goal would to be to take Jones’ out of the driver’s seat, something that previous opponents like Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
Andre Gusmao and scrappy TUF 1 runner-up
Stephan Bonnar were unable to do. Vera said he knows from his own tendencies that Jones will be more apt to expose openings if he’s pushed out of his comfort zone.
“Between me and Jones, if you just watch both of us fight, both of us has a hole -- somebody drops a hand here, somebody drops a hand there, somebody turns the wrong way and both of us have been capitalizing on other opponents (this way),” said Vera.
Although Vera sees a bit of himself in Jones, replicating the young fighter’s mannerisms hasn’t been an exact science.
“Have we been able to imitate his style? No, not to a tee,” said Vera. “He’s 6’4” and he moves well with some awkward angles and unorthodox strikes that he pulls off well. The only person that we’ve been able to use to replicate the footwork part is
Dominick Cruz.”
Like Jones, Vera’s breakthrough came from a string of dominating performances that started in 2005. The muay Thai striker’s four initial Octagon appearances didn’t leave the first round and included a crushing 69-second victory over former heavyweight champion
Frank Mir. However, Vera’s last seven outings have delivered mixed results, and four of his last five bouts have gone to decisions.
Over time, Vera has seemed less willing to pull the trigger like he had earlier in his career. In November, he dropped a unanimous nod to legend
Randy Couture at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.
“I’ve been trying to finish fights,” said Vera. “I’m getting more and more comfortable in the 205-pound division. It’s a different pace, a different game, (and) I’m feeling a lot better.”
Whether Vera is completely ready or not, Jones has his own agenda for their March 21 showdown, which will air live on the Versus network.
“Brandon has some of the best muay Thai in the light heavyweight division,” said Jones. “Why run from that? Embrace the challenge. See how I’m going to do against a so-called ‘best Muay Thai fighter’ in the light heavyweight division. … Ultimately, at the higher levels, I have to get past the great kickboxer that can fight southpaw and fight normal (stance). I have to be able to pass that test.”
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