MANILA, Philippines—The only Filipino in the most prestigious mixed martial arts stage seemed to have lost his killer instinct.
Brandon Vera lost his third fight in 12 months Sunday, dropping a three-round split decision to Keith Jardine in the light heavyweight bout of the Ultimate Fighting Championship 89 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.
Jardine, a light heavyweight contender fighting out of New Mexico, snatched victory with scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
It was the third loss in four light heavyweight fights for the 6-foot-2 Vera, who won his first eight bouts as a heavyweight.
The Norfolk, Virginia-based Vera beat Reese Andy on July 19 in his debut in the light heavy division and now owns a 9-3 win-loss record.
The UFC top brass were bewildered at Vera’s performance which they attributed to a contract dispute with his previous manager and a leg injury that sidelined him for a year after losing to Tim Sylvia.
“It’s like he lost something,” said UFC president Dana White in an interview with Yahoo! Sports. “He used to be cocky...I just don’t know what happened to him
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