As “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” became available on Netflix worldwide on Feb. 1, former ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera recalled one particular moment wherein his competitive spirit took over.
Vera was one of the many legendary fighters and World Champions who joined the 16 candidates in various physical challenges throughout the season.
The tasks that test the contestant’s fitness give the show a unique and entertaining twist from the typical business challenges.
The 44-year-old fighter spearheaded Team Valor in the Dragon Boat challenge against “Super” Sage Northcutt’s Team Conquest. From that experience, he recalled an incident where he got into one of the candidates for slacking off.
“Honestly, [the Dragon Boat] was my favorite challenge. I just had to keep everyone in step, and the team did all the work. That was my first time going on a dragon boat, and it was fun! You could kind of see my competitive side come out a bit,” Vera stated.
“I got on somebody for slacking in the race. I really leaned into him. Then I felt bad afterward, so I said sorry. And then I explained my stance: ‘You don’t get to where I’m at by quitting.’ I just needed to hone that into somebody.”
Ultimately, the Filipino-American superstar was left impressed by everyone he worked with in the show, especially how they quickly adapted from racing dragon boats at sea to pitching ideas in the boardroom.
Given the show’s cutthroat competition wherein the candidates are vying for a US$250,000 job offer to be ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong’s “Apprentice,” Vera can only imagine what these men and women endured during the production of the award-winning program.
“Honestly, everybody stood out,” the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Champion said.
“To get on that show, I can only imagine the ringer you’d have to go through and the qualifications you need. I was just listening to everyone speak. Everyone was impressive to me.”
Catch all 13 episodes of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” on Netflix.
ONE Champion also returns to combat sports action with ONE: BAD BLOOD on 11 February. Watch the event live by downloading the ONE Super App or by visiting their official YouTube channel.