Issue 146
October 2016
British phenom Michael ‘Venom’ Page is spearheading a new wave of MMA striking.
Unbeaten in 11 fights, with flashy kickboxing, fight-ending submission skills and the confidence of a superstar. His second-round flying-knee KO of Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos and celebration was the highlight of Bellator’s first UK show and made Michael ‘Venom’ Page the promotion’s most marketable prospect. No wonder he’s known as ‘MVP’.
You stole the show at Bellator 158. What did that mean to you as a London boy?
It was just pure electricity. I was pure excitement. There was such a buzz in the air, around the gym, around my family, around my friends. It was crazy. I was really interacting with the fans out there and that’s what I’m all about. It turned out exactly how I planned. I visualized it and I’m so happy right now.
Were you surprised with the level of excitement your finish against Cyborg produced?
Listen, I don’t care who is supposed to be the main event because I’m always the main event. And the fans know that. They know I have the ability to put on a show and regardless of the opponent – and Cyborg was a very creditable opponent – it doesn’t matter to me.
How did you come up with the Pokémon celebration?
I’m always trying to come up with new ideas. I thought, ‘What’s hot at the moment?’ I saw the Pokémon craze going on, so I thought, ‘I’m going to jump on this.’ I knew I was going to get the knockout so I thought, ‘I’m going to catch me a Cyborg!’ So I picked the ball up from a toy store the day before the fight and I had it in my corner. I knew I was coming for it.
Can you sense your opponents’ frustration and their will shrinking?
Oh, 100%. That just fuels me more. The more I see them getting frustrated, the more I try to add to that frustration. It just suits me perfectly when people are trying to figure it out or when someone is throwing their hardest punches and kicks and they are just hitting air. That’s the style. It grows and breeds on that frustration of the opponent. The movement is insane. The precision striking and the finishes come with that as well.
Who do you want to test yourself against?
I am constantly fighting myself. I don’t care for names. I don’t care who is in front of me because I’m not fighting them. I’m fighting myself. I am going to be a better me and I am very dangerous as I am right now. I am constantly improving and becoming more dangerous.
What are your other best performances?
I thought (Ricky) Rainey was a good spectacle. I was able to demonstrate my… Just demonstrate me. It went a little longer than many of my fights. Most of them are over so quick. I would also say my special submission win over Jeremie Holloway. It was a submission that most people don’t get to see in the cage too often.
Where did your fighting style originate and how did you develop it over time?
Just remember the name ‘Hands-down Kickboxing’. This is the future of standup. Around the world, you will definitely see it more and more. It’s freestyle kickboxing. We call it point scoring as well. It’s a style that has been out there for a long time it just hasn’t been that recognizable. Or when people do watch it they switch it off because they don’t understand what they are watching. It’s just like watching jiu-jitsu. If you don’t know what you are looking at you don’t appreciate it. I am trying to add credibility to it. There are more and more fighters around the world using the style and it’s working for them as well. It’s been around for a long time and it stems from sport karate.
You’re tall for 170lb, so might you move up to 185lb as your body fills out?
Actually, if I am going to move anywhere it’s going to be moving down. In the future, you might see me in that lightweight division. We have a lot of work to do before then but if I am going to move anywhere it will be in that direction.
Big fan: Best of British backing
Former heavyweight boxing champ, Lennox Lewis, was impressed by ‘MPV’s Bellator 158 KO. “I was amazed at his quickness and the way he decided what to throw at that moment,” he said after the fight.
“I don’t know who’s gonna match that style, because he’s got so many different flavors that can come out at any moment.”
