Kevin Holland welcomes Michael ‘Venom’ Page to the UFC this weekend, but ‘Trailblazer’ vows it won’t be long before MVP is sent back to a “different league”.
The fan-favorite welterweight acknowledged that MMA fans are in for a treat when the cage door locks behind him and UFC newcomer Michael ‘Venom’ Page this weekend at UFC 299 in Miami.
Whilst Holland had doubts on whether Page would ever join him in the UFC roster, he’s now vowed to send the debutant back to “a different league”, even calling him a “free body” who’s sitting atop his 2024 hit list.
Kevin Holland goads UFC 299 opponent with ominous message
Speaking to ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Holland noted that like many fans of the British sensation, he too had doubts about whether MVP would ever be signed to the UFC.
Page previously competed for the Bellator promotion and has a professional record of 21-2 – although most fans know him not from his title aspirations, but from the viral knockouts that he’s delivered down the years:
“Seeing a guy like Michael ‘Venom’ page doing his thing has always been amazing, [he’s] coming over to the UFC a little bit later than I expected him ever to do. Kind of thought he never would but it’s nice to see him coming over and it’s nice to be the welcoming party.”
‘Trailblazer’ teased that it’s always entertaining when he stands across from an opponent who will match his striking prowess on the feet, rather than taking the fight to the ground, with MVP known for his unorthodox kickboxing style.
“It’s always exciting, we’re going out there to see who hits each other first, [who] hits each other the hardest, you know – that’s always fun.”
Yet the UFC veteran isn’t convinced that Page is on his level, or the level needed to compete at the highest level of the promotion for that matter, taking shots: “Hopefully after I smash him, he’s not even here anymore and he goes off to a different league and does his thing, but it’s a free body.”
“He’s not a f***** UFC guy, he’s a Bellator guy. If I want to fight Bellator guys I would have went to Bellator, but I’m in the UFC…Welcome to the party.”
Whilst Holland admitted that the fight with MVP doesn’t make sense from either rankings or financial standpoint, it’s another chance to add another big name to his already impressive ‘hunt list.’
“That’s all it is, it’s not [for] a higher pay, it’s not a jump up in [the] rankings, it’s just a free body…Another kill to add to the hunt list.”
Holland vs Page is the featured fight of the UFC 299 main card, which goes down this Saturday from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.