MANILA, Philippines - A few months ago, One Fighting Championship made a blockbuster announcement about signing of Fil-Am fighter and former UFC star Brandon Vera. In doing so, Vera wished that he would have his first fight in the Philippines, and it didn’t take long for One FC CEO Victor Cui to grant his special request.
On December 5, Vera will be making his debut in front of his homeland and he will be going up against a fighter who is also close to the Filipino community, Igor Subora.
The blockbuster singing eventually made Vera feel closer to home, and he is eagerly waiting for his chance to show his skills.
“I feel closer to home (after signing with ONE FC) and coming back here again after my last trip is nice. When I landed, I just started smiling. Driving around and looking out this window and see the trees how green it is. Hearing all the Tagalog in the background everywhere and eating this Filipino food… Oh my god, just eating this. Oh my god, I just miss this food. I’m happy that I’m here as a heavyweight so I don’t have to cut down on food anymore. I can eat everything I want. I have been eating arroz caldo, garlic fried rice, bacon and eggs all morning.”
When asked if he won’t worry about taking two cups of rice Vera even joked, “Anong double rice? Triple rice!”
Indeed, Vera felt closer to home, but it was when he went back in his hometown at Barangay Poblacion Tagkawayan, Quezon when he felt really attached to the roots.
Brandon Vera traces his roots from Barangay Poblacion Tagkawayan, Quezon. (Photo from Vera's Facebook)
“It was cool. I was hearing stories about my dad. Hearing stories about my uncles. Stories I can’t repeat on the air but you know it is cool, man! I didn’t realize that they grew up in a house like “Home Along da Riles” for real. They were living in a house beside a railroad track. They (his parents) never told me that. They were the only house with running water in the province. It is a big deal man. I didn’t know these kind of stuff,” he explained.
It was only the first time that Vera was able to visit his native town but eventually, the former UFC heavyweight already felt that it was the home that he never had.
“It was nice to get home. When I said home, even thou I have never been there but this is where I am from man! That is where my dad is from. That is where my grandma is from. That is where lolo is from. That is where I am from,” said Vera.
Vera eventually took time also to get to know his parents and relatives through the stories of other people.
“It was just nice walking around there talking to people who still knew my dad. Talked about my uncles, talked about my family, talked about the house where I was, where my grandma’s farm was, where the coconut farms are. It was nice,” he continued
Basketball is known as the king of sports in the Philippines, and seeing everyone in his hometown playing the game wearing only flip-flops is something that he thinks he has to do while he was there. The experience for him was somewhat relaxing.
“You have to man! Kailangan talaga. We kept it short. We just played first to ten. It was fun,” Vera reflected.
“It is how I think life is supposed to be. Slowed down. I have been living this fast life in the States side with all of our cars, internet, our devices. When I went out there, relax lang talaga,” Vera added.
Vera shoots hoops in a makeshift court. (Photo from Vera's Facebook)
Vera also reflected that it was difficult for his parents to accept that he would be entering the world of mixed martial arts. He then recalls the exact words that his parents said to him.
“Ano ka sira? May topak ka? Ano iniisip mo? Bumalik ka nalang sa school! Mag-doktor ka na lang! Kesa naman mabugbog ka pa sa loob ng ring. Nya nya nya nya nya. Masaktan ka pa. nya nya nya nya nya. My parents took a little while but they are my biggest supporters now.”
Coming from a Filipino family, Vera was not exempted with the conservative upbringing of his parents. In time, his parents saw how passionate he is about the sport and continues to support him but the worries are still there.
“They are always worried. (They would say) Lalaban ka pa? Lalaban ka pa? Go train hard ha. Be in shape ha. Make sure your training is good ha. So you know it is a love-hate relationship with the fighting game for them but they are 100 percent supportive of what I am doing.”
Vera, who was raised in the United States, was also proud of how his Filipino parents brought him up the “Filipino way” and not just with the food that he eats but also the values that he learned throughout the years.
“I’ve eaten balut, I’ve eaten dinuguan. I’ve eaten everything. I asked mom and dad, ‘why do you eat dinuguan?’ (They said) in the Philippines, life is hard. You don’t throw anything away.”
Living in the United States was also a tough for the Vera family and in their household, Brandon said that there was no complaining in the house and his parents would give them advice on the resiliency of the Filipino people.
“There were bad times. Nobody ever complained. But my mom and dad always say, “Ganito talaga buhay ng Pilipino, ganito talaga.” All you can do is get up and do it again tomorrow, get up again and do it again tomorrow. That translated to my MMA career and that is how everybody is here.”
Going back to his roots was indeed a treat for him but never that he knew that the popularity of MMA has reached his hometown.
“I had no idea, you know. Even in Quezon province, I never knew I had fans like that. It’s mind blowing. Talagang alam nila kung sino ako doon sa probinsya.”
Vera bonds with the locals. (Photo from Vera's Facebook)
More so, Vera saw with his own eyes the growth of the sport in the Philippines has been rapidly increasing and more Filipinos see it as another form of sport that they can excel in.
“It is nice to see that the country is following the sport of MMA. It is becoming or it is the big thing now. It gives everybody a sense of hope. Before it is just boxing or the PBA, but now it is MMA. You can fight somebody your size, your weight. If you don’t have good hands but have fast feet, you can kick somebody in the face. If you don’t have good stand up but you can wrestle, you can grab and throw him into the ground. It is the world equalizer and Filipino people don’t have to worry about their height and weight. It doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone is level on the playing field.”
Vera returned to the United States to finish his training, and it didn’t took time for his friends to notice the change in him.
“When I went home (to the States), everybody was saying that I look different. They said I look so happy. They said something happened over there and I said “Yes something did happen there.” I didn’t know what it was but it was definitely a good thing.”
The trip for Vera was definitely life changing and down the line, he can now see himself going back to live in the province.
“I want like to go back. I would not mind living in Quezon. I would not mind living in the province.”
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About the author: Ernest Hernandez is a regular contributor for NBA Philippines and Philstar.com. He also hosts a sports program named “Sports On-Air” that can be heard at DZEC 1062 khz every Sunday from 7-8pm.