Michael ‘Venom’ Page not only knows his stuff when it comes to breaking down top MMA fights but also how to build up your global starpower.
Following his dominant debut win over Kevin Holland, the flashy British striker finally returns to action in the main card opener of UFC 303 against the divisive undefeated phenom, Ian Machado Garry.
As the winner of that highly anticipated clash will likely find themselves in contention for the next UFC welterweight title shot; Michael ‘Venom’ Page has some strong opinions about both his path to undisputed gold, and the man currently holding the 170lb strap.
MVP breaks down Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad rematch at UFC 304
Two enormous fights go down in the welterweight division less than one month apart: MVP vs Garry at UFC 303, followed by champion Leon Edwards defending his title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester.
Speaking to Daniel Cormier via his official YouTube channel, Page predicted that the title fight will be a rather monotonous affair as “both are very slow-paced fighters.
“Technically it suits Belal, a slow-paced fight will suit Belal in terms of his wrestling ability in three rounds… But over five rounds, I think it will start to favor Leon because Leon’s ability to continue the dangerous strikes in the fourth and fifth rounds will be a lot higher.”
The promotional newcomer argued that despite Leon Edwards most likely winning via the judges’ scorecards, “if he was to put a bit more pace on that fight at the beginning, I think he could potentially even finish it earlier.”
MVP on why Leon Edwards doesn’t get the respect he deserves as champion
It’s not difficult to see why fans are comparing MVP to Edwards at such a pivotal time in the welterweight division; both being outstanding strikers, world-class level athletes and role models with a dedicated following of die-hard supporters.
Yet Edwards certainly doesn’t enjoy the starpower or ‘brand recognition’ of MVP, barely receiving the respect he deserves as a UFC champion despite besting Kamaru Usman twice and silencing Colby Covington in dominant fashion.
“I personally think it’s to do with people love characters [and] his character is low, it’s very basic,” explained Page, sharing what he would do in Edwards’ shoes in order to build his starpower ahead of a second PPV homecoming.
“He needs a little bit of spice on that, he needs to draw more people, entertain more people, or however it suits him, but he doesn’t care to do all that kind of stuff.
“I get it, if that’s you, but you still need to find a way to [build your starpower], it’s important. That’s why it took you so long to take this path [to the title fight] because you’re not- nobody’s turning their head at you.”
Poignantly, MVP also stated that had Edwards put more effort into marketing himself, then Dana White and the UFC brass would have offered him a title shot far sooner.
“And I think that’s what it is – people don’t care about your personality or persona. If you invest a little bit of time and marketing yourself, I think more people will.”
First Ian Machado Garry, then Kamaru Usman, then UFC gold
Should MVP defeat Ian Machado Garry this weekend in Las Vegas, he’s already stated that his next fight would likely be a number one contender’s match for Edwards’ welterweight title.
And there’s one dream matchup on his mind, or rather a ‘Nightmare’ in the form of former pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and ex-welterweight king, Kamaru ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Usman.
“Beating Ian Garry puts me in the Top 5 [and] Top 5 for me means I’m one mistake or one injury or postponed fight away from the belt, or I take another fight and I’m guaranteed [next shot] for the belt.
“So, I’m looking around at other guys [and] Usman is really the only one who no one’s really mentioning or saying anything about – and he’s number one ranked. He’s a beast, he was a great champion so why not?”
MVP argued that a win over Usman would guarantee him a shot against whoever is holding the welterweight title at the time, whether that be Edwards, Muhammad, or even someone like Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“My thing is ‘I win that fight, no one can say anything about me taking the belt’, there’s no dispute, there’s no debate, nothing. I am guaranteed the belt so if I’m going to think about it tactically, that fight makes the most sense.”
Michael ‘Venom’ Page vs Ian Machado Garry opens the main card of UFC 303, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 29.