Vera Says Fatherhood Revealed His Soft Side: ‘I Get To Be Silly’
Last year, ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera entered a new phase of his life.
The heavyweight king and his wife, Jessica, welcomed their first child, Atreyu Timothy, to the world in July 2020.
While many new parents go through a tough adjustment period and experience a steep learning curve, the Filipino-American superstar’s transition to fatherhood has been relatively smooth.
“Nothing’s really changed,” Vera says. “I got a new friend to hang out with. I got a new little buddy to kick it with besides my best friend, so I mean, life is good.”
Life also happens to be very busy for the 43-year-old.
Along with dipping his toes into acting, Vera remains an active mixed martial artist. Next, he’ll defend the ONE heavyweight gold against Indian challenger Arjan “Singh” Bhullar at ONE: DANGAL, which airs this Saturday, 15 May.
Combined with fatherhood, those responsibilities could be overwhelming at times, but Vera is blessed with a strong, supporting partner
“Being a father and a husband requires personal attention, always. Finding the right balance is always the key,” he says.
“I’m fortunate enough to have a wife who makes sure balance is always struck and in tune. If I’m messing up, she’ll let me know.”
But from the sounds of it, “The Truth” is too excited to mess up. Simply put, he loves being a dad.
For the heavyweight king, one of the most gratifying things about having a child is the presence of another person to share his soft side with.
The 43-year-old believes his life is reflected in the “Three Faces of Self.” According to the Japanese proverb, the first face is the one he shows the world, the second is the one he shows friends and family, and the third is one that’s rarely seen.
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“The Truth” is particularly fond of the second face – and with his son’s arrival, ONE Championship’s baddest man can now display it more often.
“When I get home, I get to show face number two. That face is a face that only the closest people to me get to see,” Vera says.
“I get to be silly. I get to be a nerd with him. I get to be a geek. I get to hang out with him. I can do hand puppets with him. I get to be me all the time when I’m being a dad and hanging out, doing my fatherly duties.”
In fact, Vera loves his fatherly duties so much that he brought Jessica and Atreyu with him to Florida, USA, so he could prepare for the upcoming World Title fight at Sanford MMA without missing valuable time in his son’s development.
“The Truth” even includes the youngest member of Team Vera in his daily routine – even if that member happens to be asleep most of the time.
“He comes to the gym with us,” the ONE Heavyweight World Champion says. “He hangs out. He eats with us. He does everything we do, so he takes a lot more naps.”
