Miami, Florida. UFC 299. The stage is set for Michael ‘Venom’ Page to make his long-awaited UFC debut.
With a charismatic personality intertwined with a show stopping skillset, ‘MVP’ was always destined to be a star. After three fights on the domestic scene, his unique fighting style caught the eye of global promotion, Bellator, a place in which Page called home for a decade.
With his Bellator contract coming to an end, the London Shootfighter star explored free agency, with much speculation surrounding where he would end up next. Speaking to Fighters Only, MVP revealed that at some stage, he had questioned if UFC call would come for him. He said:
“At the beginning of my career that was the goal, as my career was going on and progressing, I wasn't so sure if I was going to be able to get there but it’s similar to ticking off the bare-knuckle fight.
“It was just something else that I've always kind of thought ‘yeah, I'll be good. I'll try.’ You never know exactly when you're going to get a chance to actually do these things. But yeah, I'm here in the UFC now and I'm going to get to tick off that box.”
Many a star has signed with the UFC and had to prove their worth before advancing to facing notable names, but this is not the case for MVP. He squares off against fellow fan favourite, and number 13 ranked Welterweight, Kevin Holland at UFC 299. For Page, he greatly appreciates the opportunity to face such a high calibre opponent in his promotional debut and feels the matchup shows the promotion’s intentions with him.
“It definitely shows me, just the opponent alone, shows me that one, they take me seriously.
“There's a lot of respect there and mutual respect. I am massive fan outside of me actually being a fighter. I'm a fan. There's so many fighters that even when I went to the APEX, just bumping into certain fighters that, I've watched over the years, it's really cool.
“But I'm thankful that they see my ability, they see the level I can take it to and they are showing that they can be serious so it’s good.”
Not only does the magnitude of Kevin Holland’s name excite MVP, but the electrifying, albeit unorthodox, style that he brings to each and every fight is just another aspect of the debut Page is looking forward to.
“For me, the stars align just perfectly because knowing one, it is a serious opponent. But two, that it is him. As you say, it’s never going to be a boring fight, we’re both exciting fighters.
“Someone actually said it the other day as a joke ‘You'll probably be able to make a podcast out of stuff that you and him are going to be saying to each other.’ So yeah, it's going to be entertaining. I'm just excited to execute that and just have fun in the UFC cage.”
Page has made no secret of the fact he envisions a bout with UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards at some point in his UFC tenure. The bout would be one of a magnitude UK fight fans are yet to witness and would no doubt draw crowds from far and wide. Both men have been at the forefront of UK MMA for years and for MVP, giving back to MMA fans has been a staple of his career – and what better way to give back than competing in the biggest MMA fight in UK history!
“I think I've been somewhat of a figurehead in the development over here in terms of inspiring a lot of the next generation. I feel like even though I wasn't on the biggest show at the time, I made a lot of noise. A lot of people were drawn to me, to my style.
“I see a lot even when I'm looking around, I seen a lot of videos of people with similar bounces and stuff and it's nice to see and I just like to constantly keep giving back. The same way I am when I walk out into a crowd and try to deliver entertainment, it doesn't necessarily stop once I've left the cage.
“Once I've left the cage there’s other ways for me to then give back to the crowd I'm locally at, but my hometown crowd.”
When asked where the bout would take place, either at the home of his beloved Manchester United or Villa Park, the ground of Edward’s Aston Villa, Page was quick to quip that there was only one destination for the monster clash. He quipped:
“For me personally it would have to be Old Trafford because I'm a Man Utd fan so it would have to be Old Trafford, for me!”
For as long as the 36-year-old has been collecting stopping breathtaking victories on Bellator, the questions surrounding if he would be able to do the same in the UFC have been on the lips, not least those who take to social media to tell him otherwise. Although never taking what is said online to heart, MVP admitted it will be sweet to be able to prove the doubters wrong, in signature fashion.
“The ego is ready. It’s in the cage like ‘Let me out! We need to go and show these guys.’ but as long as I deliver what I know, I can deliver because I already know in myself.
“There's a lot of fighters that I've sparred with in the UFC, high level in boxing and nobody can say a bad word. It's just that everybody else hasn't seen it. I feel like if I go in and really push to try and prove to these guys, I may not perform the same way I would normally perform.
“So if I just go in there as myself and put on the entertainment factor that I know I normally do anyway, and then just get a result done that's going to speak for itself. So I don't really need to overstress the aspect. But yeah, my ego's there like ‘Yo, let me out!’
Page promises fight fans expect a vintage MVP performance and would take great joy in becoming of only a handful of men to stop Holland within the distance.
“It's going to be explosive. It's going to be crazy kicks, crazy punches. I'm going to have the fitness to keep going. He can try and drag me in any direction, it's not going to happen. He's going to be on my timeline on that night and I'm looking for that finish. I know he hasn't been finished many times before, people always say that, he's still human.
“Loads of people are. like ‘Oh, he hasn't been finished much.’ He's still human. He's a tough human. I've had many tough humans in front of me before and I keep saying I'm a sniper. I only need that one shot. I only need to find that one weak point and I'm training my arse off to find it. So yeah, expect, expect fireworks that night!”
