THE fans may be seeing the twilight of his career, but Filipino-American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Brandon Vera is really keen on pleasing the crowd someday—not in the cage, but in the Senate—as a lawmaker.
After demolishing Japanese contender Hideki Sekine in round one via technical knockout during their heavyweight clash in One Championship: Age of Domination, the 39-year-old Vera revealed his intention to run for a government post to serve the Filipino people.
And like the way he looked so eager in his fights before, the native of Tagkawayan, Quezon, is really pumped up to give it all for his candidacy.
“I want to help the people, especially in the provinces. No one’s helping them. I want to run for Senate in 2019,” Vera told reporters in the postfight press conference on Friday night. “Marami akong pangarap para sa Pilipinas.”
Vera also said that he wants to follow the path that eight-time boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao have taken, from being a renowned sportsman to politician.
“I love seeing Pacquiao in Senate hearings. If you say something wrong, he’s not afraid to ask. He’s a living, breathing bayani,” Vera added.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship contender said last year that he plans to run for a public office in his hometown in Quezon Province. But it seems that he has changed course into fulfilling his dream by aiming for a higher government post.
“We’ll see. Alam niyo gusto kong nakikitang masaya ang mga tao. And someday I really want to serve them better,” Vera said.
Aside from running for Senate, he also loves to farm in his rural place. He also has a project with actress Anne Curtis for a film titled Buy Bust.
Asked whether he will wave good-bye to the MMA scene, Vera simply wants to savor the moment he is enjoying as a champion.
“I don’t know when will I retire. As long as I can fight, I will fight. I don’t want to retire, then come out of retirement because I want to hit the cage again,” Vera said.
Vera pulverized Sekine with his vicious kicks and deadly punches, as he retained his One heavyweight belt when the referee stopped the match in the 3:11-minute mark of the first round.
The previously unbeaten Sekine (seven wins, one loss) looked a bar below Vera’s class as the champion proved his prowess right from the start, connecting solid knees and high kicks that negated Sekine’s ground tactics.
Image credits: Roy Domingo