EXCLUSIVE | Brandon Vera urges fans not to take bathroom breaks once fight with Cerilli begins

ONE Championship heavyweight kingpin Brandon Vera is once again set to defend his title. The Filipino-American striking specialist will do so on November 23 in Manila, The Philippines, where he will battle Cage Warriors heavyweight champion Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli.

Given the skill of his upcoming opponent, Brandon Vera knows that victory is not a certainty. What he is certain of, however, is that the bout will be thrilling, and that it could end at any second. For that reason, he urges his fans to save their bathroom breaks for after the fight.

‘You know how I fight,” Brandon Vera said on a recent episode of BJPENN.COM Radio. “I don’t go to go 5 rounds and I don’t go to seek out decision. I’m either going out on my shield or I’m carrying mine back with me. Don’t blink. Don’t got to the bathroom. When the referee says, ‘go,’ it’s on. Stay watching, I’m going to be in shape. I promise I’m going to be in shape and I’m very excited, I’m very much looking forward to this next event.”

Brandon Vera has not fought since December of 2016, when he knocked out Japan’s Hideki Sekine in the first round, retaining his title in the process. His next two bouts were also first-round knockout wins: one over Paul Cheng, and another over Igor Subora, which earned him the ONE heavyweight title. He’s 15-7 overall.

Mauro Cerilli last fought in March when he mauled Ireland’s Karl Moore to a 15-second knockout victory. The Italian finisher is currently a strong 11-2 overall, but has yet to fight an opponent as well-versed as Vera.

ONE Championship’s anticipated return to Manila will also feature a lightweight showdown between former champion Eduard Folayang and Amir Khan, who has produced more knockouts than any other fighter in the ONE cage. The winner of this bout will be crowned ONE’s new lightweight champion, as the former champion Martin Nguyen vacated that title earlier this year to focus on his duties as ONE featherweight champ.

Do you think Brandon Vera can come out on top in Manila this November 23?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/2/2018.