Brandon Vera "hates strength and conditioning" but says he’s in the best shape ever

Former ONE heavyweight world champion Brandon Vera couldn’t be more excited for his return to the ONE Championship circle. He is so motivated for his comeback that Vera has paid extra close attention to his strength and conditioning heading into his next fight, even if he admits he doesn’t particularly enjoy that part of his workouts.

In a recent interview with YouTube channel, The MMA Superfan, the 45-year-old Filipino-American veteran talked about his preparations for his next appearance in the cage:

“So I trained in the Philippines, I’m training here in Guam. Flew in some coaches, people are coming in and out, training partners coming in and out. The craziest part is I’ve been doing strength and conditioning since February or March and I hate strength and conditioning man, like I really, really hate it. I loathe strength and conditioning.”

'The Truth' is no doubt a devastating striker. As he got older, however, the Filipino-American’s gas tank often came into question, and the fact that he’s only fought six times in the past eight years certainly hasn’t helped keep him sharp. Of course, Vera will need to be as close to his physical prime as possible when he enters the circle for his next contest.

Brandon Vera is scheduled to face Iranian wrestling champion Amir Aliakbari at ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks, which will be broadcast live from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, on Saturday, December 3. Vera is expecting a massive victory in front of his hometown Filipino crowd in what could possibly be the last fight of his professional mixed martial arts career.

Watch the full interview here:

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During the same interview, ‘The Truth’ revealed that he wasn’t in his best form against Arjan Bhullar when he defended the ONE heavyweight world title in 2021. As such, he has made an effort to rectify that before heading into his fight against Amir Aliakbari at ONE 164.

Brandon Vera told The MMA Superfan:

“I definitely won’t be out of shape in this fight. I’ve never done strength and conditioning this long. I’ve done it for so long now, it doesn’t hurt as bad anymore. I’m just playing coach; it sucks.”

The Filipino-American is bent on reclaiming the ONE heavyweight world title and will look to give his home crowd in the Philippines a treat with a spectacular finish along the way.