Issue 047

March 2009

His MMA career may look uncertain, but one aspect of Brandon Vera’s life is set in stone. The light heavyweight’s tattoos represent forces greater than those he faces in the Octagon.  

The meanings behind Vera’s tattoos are among the most discussed and debated of all MMA fighters. As long as he has been active in the UFC, fans have wondered what the strange hieroglyphics on his back and legs stand for.  

Born to a Filipino father, Vera’s back is tattooed in the country’s old writing system, Alibata, which fell out of use around the 19th century after colonisation by the Spanish. The symbols represent the four basic elements, and read clockwise, from top left, are mundo (earth), hangin (wind), apoy (fire), and tubig (water). The symbol in the middle is an infinity loop turned on it’s side, as the normal version looked “too feminine” according to Vera!  

Upon Vera’s right thigh is the script for ‘family’, with ‘God’ upon his left thigh. Vera plans upon extensive tattoo work in the future, including a chest piece that will spread onto his arm and the names of his family members added to, and around, the existing design on his right leg. His left leg will be left well alone though, with no further tattoos added in any way, because, as Vera says, “You don’t fuck with God, man!”