by FIGHT! contributor Kim Schemer
On Nov. 20, Strikeforce will present Couture vs. Vera II only this time the boys won’t be involved. Kerry Vera, wife of Brandon Vera, and Kim Couture, former wife of Randy Couture, will meet in the 135 lb. division one week after UFC 105 saw the men meet in a three round main event that ended in a close decision for Couture.
Vera, who trains at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Calif. may be a familiar face as the winner of the 2007 season of “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen channel. The muay Thai stylist recently signed a five-fight deal with Strikeforce and she took some time to catch FIGHT! up on her experiences on the show, as a fighter, and on this upcoming bout.
FIGHT!: You used to compete in muay Thai/kickboxing, what made you make the change to MMA?
VERA: I’m always looking for a challenge, and MMA is the ultimate challenge. I tend to get bored easily, and with kickboxing you can only do so much. MMA is never ending; there is always something new to learn, or something to improve.
FIGHT! The amount of publicity for these back to back Couture/Vera fights must be intense; do you feel this increases your pressure to perform?
VERA: I don’t put any pressure on myself. I look at the publicity surrounding these fights as an added bonus, and nothing else. When I fight I fight for me and no one else.
FIGHT! Describe your experiences with Fight Girls in Thailand. Is this somewhere you would like to visit again?
VERA: Thailand was gorgeous, and I would love to visit again. I didn’t have the best experience on the show though, we were treated badly, so that part I did not enjoy. However, I got to stay in Thailand for a week after the show wrapped with my husband, and that part was amazing.
FIGHT! Do you have a game plan for the upcoming fight?
VERA: I’m just going to go out there and hopefully get to do a little bit of everything. My last fight ended up being mostly a stand-up fight, so I would like to be able to mix it up a little.
FIGHT!: Do you have difficulty finding sparring partners?
VERA: Sometimes- I have a great team though and I often end up just sparring with the guys which is fine.
FIGHT!: What do you foresee for the future of women in MMA?
VERA: The future is getting bigger; it seems to be becoming more accepted. I really hope it does well.
FIGHT!: Do you feel there’s a greater struggle to being a female in the sport?
VERA: I don’t feel any struggle. The UFC won’t take women, which is kind of shitty. I don’t really feel any great conflict though.
FIGHT!: What would you say to girls interested in MMA?
VERA: Go for it. It’s a fun sport, give it your all, train hard, mainly do it for yourself.
FIGHT!: If you weren’t fighting, what would you be doing?
VERA: Probably taking care of my husband. Either that or something with animals. I considered being a veterinarian, but it is a lot of schooling.
FIGHT!: What are your hobbies?
VERA: Anything outdoors. bike riding, hiking, really anything outside. We also have five dogs- four pitbulls and one French bulldog – so also spending time with them.
FIGHT!: Describe your typical day.
VERA: Wake up at 7 and let the dogs out. Coffee is my vice; I always have to have a cup. Then we watch the Channel 5 news. Train from 10:30 to 12/1. Come home and rest/eat, then hit the gym again around 5 or 6. After that we come home and watch TV or a movie. I have my shows I like, Brandon has his video games, so sometimes we watch together, and other days we go our own ways.
Go here for more videos of Kerry Vera.
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