MANILA, Philippines — After two decades in mixed martial arts, Brandon Vera has called it a career after a TKO loss to Amir Aliakbari of Iran at ONE 164: Pacio vs Brooks here at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Vera, 45, announced his retirement from MMA in the post-fight interview inside the ONE Circle.
Related Stories
The Filipino-American was a former ONE heavyweight champion and has been in the industry since 2002.
"Kababayan, ang tagal ko nang ginagawa ito. You just witnessed my final fight," said Vera after the bout.
But Vera rued that he could not give the Filipinos a win in his last fight as he fell victim to Aliakbari's striking.
A flurry of punches saw Vera floored at the 3:37 mark of the opening round, prompting the referee stoppage.