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Former ONE heavyweight champion Brandon Vera is making his long-awaited return to the circle at ONE Championship 164, and ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong is eagerly anticipating this matchup against Iranian powerhouse Amir Aliakbari.
'The Truth' last competed in May 2021, a losing effort against current heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar. Prior to that, he hadn't fought since October 2019. In fact, Vera has only graced the circle six times in nearly eight years of being signed.
All of that only adds to the excitement of his return. Chatri Sityodtong recently sat down with the CNN Sports Desk to share his thoughts on the upcoming bout. He said:
"Yes, I'm announcing it to Filipino fans. We have arguably the greatest Filipino heavyweight in history, Brandon Vera. KO artists versus KO artists Amir Aliakbari. Two heavyweight KO artists coming to meet. There is bad blood. Amir Aliakbari has talked trash to Brandon, Brandon originally wanted to welcome Amir Aliakbari."
Chatri Sityodtong added:
"And now, here we have it, two heavyweight giants, two heavyweight KO artists. I guarantee this fight is going to end in the first or second round."
Brandon Vera fighting in front of Filipino home crowd
Despite being a native of Norfolk, Virginia, Brandon Vera moved him and his family to the Philippines a few years back. Since then, he has totally embraced the nation as well as its culture.
The former ONE heavyweight world champion's impact on the Filipino MMA scene cannot be underestimated. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong told CNN Sports Desk:
"It's massive. You know, Brandon undoubtedly has the hearts and minds of every Filipino fan in the whole entire country and around the world, actually. He loves the Philippines. He represents the Philippines in such an incredible, honorable way."
Upon joining ONE in 2014, Vera plowed through the competition, scoring first-round stoppages in his first four appearances. This type of production is almost unheard of on the global stage. He'll look to get back to that success against Aliakbari.
Make sure to tune in to ONE Championship 164 to watch the heavyweight contenders square off in this heated matchup. The bout will take place on December 3 live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Check out Brandon Vera's top highlights in ONE Championship below:
