Issue 172

November 2018

Billed as the biggest fight in UK MMA history, the Bellator welterweight grand prix will see Michael 'Vemon' Page take on his longtime foe, Paul Daley. It's a fight that's been years in the making and MVP promises to 'demoralize, embarrass and retire' Daley.

Bellator Welterweight

Record: 15-1-0,

Team: London Shootfighters,

From: London,United Kingdom.

Michael Page has been waiting years to get his hands on Paul Daley and it appears that the wait is now finally over.

The Bellator welterweight grand prix will begin on September 29 when Douglas Lima and Andrey Koreshkov go toe-to-toe at Bellator 206 which takes place in San Jose, California. The winner of that fight will then advance to the semi-finals to take on the winner of Page vs Paul Daley who will meet later this year.

The two British fighters have been linked with fighting one another several times over the past three years, but with the tournament pairing them together for the opening round of the grand prix, fans around the world finally look set to find out who is the better of the two men.

“There’s nowhere for him to hide now,” says Page. “I just want this fight as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter when, I could fight tomorrow if they asked me to. That’s how ready I am for this fight. The sooner I punch this guy in the face the better. That will make me happy. There’s no way he can get out of this now.

“I’m just focused on destroying him, embarrassing him and making sure that he leaves the sport for good. He will be forgotten about after what I do to him.”

Whilst beating Daley emphatically remains the ultimate goal, Page knows that a lot will go before that as they aim to promote the fight as the biggest in UK MMA history.

This summer, Bellator signed over 20 UK and Irish fighters to exclusive deals, but the absence of a local TV partnership is still preventing the local fanbase consuming the Bellator product live and Page is well aware he has a big part to play in the coming months.

“I know exactly what I’m going to do to him so I’m not really thinking about it all that much right now,” Page explains. “What I’m thinking about right now is how I can market this fight and promote myself. I know it’s going to be one of the biggest fights in UK MMA history, so I want to make sure I capitalize on it.

“Bellator doesn’t have the biggest presence in the UK right now,” he continues. “So I know it’s going to take a lot from me to make it as big as possible. It’s got the potential to be the pick of the first-round fights in terms of the build-up.

"The actual fight!? Not so much. I know I’m going to dominate it so much people might think it will be an anti-climax. I’ll answer a lot of questions as to where I am.”

Daley will be Page’s first fight in the tournament, but Douglas Lima, Andrey Koreshkov, Ed Ruth, Neiman Gracie, Rory MacDonald and Jon Fitch could await him in the later rounds.

Whilst Page admitted that he’s expecting to face the man currently carrying the Bellator welterweight title in the final, he added that he’s very interested to see how he does in his first-round match against the gritty UFC veteran Fitch.

“You have to think that Rory MacDonald will make it through to the end,” Page said. “Still though, he’s got a really tough first round against Jon Fitch. Yeah, Fitch is a bit older, but stylistically he’s a tough fight for anyone because we just saw what he did to Daley.

“Of course, Daley’s ground game is nowhere near the level of Rory MacDonald, we saw that clear as day in their fight. It’s going to be hard to keep Rory down, but Fitch could win it given his wrestling ability so it’s not wise to rule anyone out. It will be difficult to keep him on his back for five rounds though.”

Page’s awareness of the rest of the bracket doesn’t end there and his path to the final could see him face another fighter for whom he has a lot of respect. Lima held the Bellator title for over a year and only just narrowly lost out to MacDonald last January via a decision. Page believes the Brazilian deserves a lot more credit for what he’s achieved and said it would be a pleasure to face him in the semi-finals after beating Daley.

“I think Douglas Lima is very underrated,” Page reasons. “I think he’s a great fighter and if he gets through the first round it’s going to be an honor to fight him. I just don’t think he gets enough praise for what he’s done and he’s massively talented. I got a lot of respect for him because he’s a fierce competitor and a nice guy outside of his fights. There are not enough people like that in this sport.”

The two dark horses in the grand prix come in the form of Gracie and Ruth. Whilst they might not have the name power or recognition of the likes of MacDonald or Daley, Page still recognizes their talent and he said he will be fully prepared to deal with them should he have to fight them in the final.

“When you got a second name that’s Gracie, it’s pretty obvious what you’re going to be bringing to the table,” says Page. “Ed Ruth also looks like another talented wrestler who can actually throw hands at people, so he’s also got potential to do well. Having that wrestling base to go to really allows you to be free with your stand-up. It’s like, if you’re doing well in the stand-up people are going to look to grab onto you so that just puts them even further in the deep end.

“So yeah, both those two guys bring danger,” he continues. “But I’ll say it again, they aren’t a worry for me unless I make it to the final. Their big issue is dealing with Rory.”

For the minute at least, the likes of MacDonald, Lima, Ruth and Gracie will not be the focal point of Page’s attention. The man in the headlights is Daley and after a long and bitter feud that has been waged in the media for three years now, Page is looking forward to writing the last chapter and ending it with an exclamation point.

“Either way, I’m not fussed whether it’s a fast win or a drawn-out one,” argues Page.

“He’s going to die inside regardless. If I can picture the perfect scenario, I want to torture him and make him feel like he feels before he quits for a long time. I want people to understand the difference in our standard. I’m that much better above him in this game.

“All that talk he had, he’s only got one big punch, that’s it. He’s not a talented fighter. He’s got a big punch and he’s beaten some big names with that one punch. That said, the biggest thing he’s known for is losing to Nick Diaz. His legacy is bulls*** and it’s based on a loss. I will demoralize him, embarrass him and make him quit the sport.”