Brandon Vera.

BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca

All 22 fighters made weight Saturday for the first UFC Live event on Sportsnet, which will take place Sunday night at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

The event is headlined by a light-heavyweight contender matchup between Brandon (The Truth) Vera, who weighed in at 204 pounds, and Jon (Bones) Jones, who was 206.

The event will air live at 9 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Ontario.

"This is a big opportunity for me," said Jones (9-1), who is coming off the only loss of his career against Matt Hamill, but a fight he was utterly dominating before he was disqualified for an illegal -- and likely unnecessary -- downward elbow.

Vera, 10 years Jones's elder and the most accomplished fighter he's faced, doesn't plan on making things easy for the 22-year-old up-and-comer.

"He'll find out what I'm all about (on Sunday)," Vera (11-4) said.

The main card features two heavyweight fights. Junior Dos Santos, who hit the scale at 238, faces Gabriel Gonzaga (255), while Paul Buentello (246) faces Cheick Kongo, who was a relatively slim 237 pounds.

NOTES: A few hours after the UFC event ends, the Dream promotion's next event in Yokohama, Japan will take place at the Yokohama Arena. Dream 13, which can be seen live on HDNet at 3 a.m. ET Monday morning, features a featherweight championship bout between title-holder Bibiano Fernandes and challenger Joachim Hansen.

It will also see the return to pro competition for heavyweight Josh Barnett, who takes on Siala (Mighty Mo) Siligia. Considered one of the best heavyweights in the world, Barnett has not fought since a win over Gilbert Yvel at the second event under the Affliction banner in January 2009. He was supposed to fight again in August but tested positive for anabolic steroids in July and subsequently was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. Barnett has appealed the ruling, but did not appear for the latest hearing on the matter last month, and thus is still not eligible to fight in the U.S. where athletic commissions respect the CSAC's sanctions.