Brandon Vera said Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou all turned down a July 19 fight with him, and after he turned declined a fight with Lyoto Machida, the UFC ultimately offered him UFC newcomer Reese Andy.
In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com), Vera confirmed that he turned down a UFC Fight Night 14 bout with Machida because he felt he needed more training time.
And though he wouldn't tell us which opponents turned down the fight with him, Vera finally spilled the beans to baltimoresun.com.
"They offered me Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Lyoto Machida and then Reese Andy," Vera told the website.
As for turning down the fight with Machida, Vera recently told MMAjunkie.com that it was a no-brainer. However, he didn't count out a future match-up with the famed Brazilian.
"For sure, I turned down the fight with Machida," Vera said. "Don't get me wrong. I'm down to fight Machida but not in my first time cutting down to 205 on four weeks' notice. I want to be ready for Machida. That bastard's good. I want to make sure I've got good sparring and a good game plan for Machida.
"Machida's not somebody you can just jump in the cage with and fight. I don't care who you are; if you think you can just beat Machida because you're tougher than him, he's probably going to whoop your ass. ... He doesn't go in to destroy people and finish them. Man, you can't hit him, and he just keeps touching you. People just get frustrated and pissed off. So, I did turn down the fight with Machida, but I'm down for sure to fight Machida, given good time."
Vera, who will compete at 205 pounds for the first time on Saturday, also told MMAjunkie.com that his move to a new weight class isn't necessarily permanent. He said he wants to return to the heavyweight class, especially for a rematch with Fabricio Werdum.
The two fighters met last month at UFC 85, and after Werdum rained down a series of unanswered blows, the fight was stopped with 20 seconds remaining in the first round. Vera claims it was a premature stoppage.
