UFC 319 features the return of one of the most unique and exciting fighters on the roster.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page has got a highlight reel than can rival any other fighter’s greatest moments inside of the cage.
At UFC 319, ‘MVP’ returns for his fourth outing inside the Octagon where he looks to secure his biggest win to date since signing with the UFC in 2024.
Page has admitted that he was frustrated at welterweight, with the option to face Jared Cannonier by staying at middleweight proving to be the best option for him.
While he could emerge as a legitimate threat at 185-pounds with a win on Saturday night, his best work has been done at the weight below, where he has a track record for embarrassing his opponents.
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Michael ‘Venom’ Page made David Rickles quit at Bellator 200 after landing a huge right hand that cut him open
Aside from a few fights in his Bellator run where he faced the best opposition on the roster, there were some criticisms of Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s run in the promotion.
Many felt like he was often facing lesser opposition who had no chance of countering his elite striking style which makes him so captivating.
One of those wins where he totally outclassed his opponent and made it look like he had no business being in the cage with him came at Bellator 200 in 2018.
In the co-main event, Page faced Bellator veteran David Rickels, who had previously challenged Michael Chandler for the lightweight title back in 2013.
Any prospect of this being an intriguing matchup due to Rickels’ experience was quickly dismissed once the Brit started to pick the American apart and toy with his opponent.
In the opening 30 seconds of the second round, ‘MVP’ timed a huge right hand that caught Rickels clean and opened up a cut next to his left eye, with commentator Mauro Ranallo remaking that his “face exploded”.
Rather than chasing after his opponent, Page just looked at him, clearly shouting, “you are f—–” at his bleeding foe.
Rickels immediately responding by waving his hand in the air, gesturing to the referee that he was done fighting before the stoppage led to a crowd of boos.
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David Rickels admitted that Michael ‘Venom’ Page broke him at Bellator 200
David Rickels made his return later that year at Bellator 210 where he looked to put the memories of his last fight behind him.
In an interview with MMA Junkie ahead of his next outing, Rickles openly spoke about how difficult it had been to move past his loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Page.
“That was truthfully an embarrassing fight for me. I’m still gritty and not happy about it.”
Rickels said that while he had suffered setbacks in the past, being beaten by ‘MVP’ was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, which made it harder to come to terms with.
“It was worse (than any other loss) because I got broke,” Rickels said. “I got broke and I thought that I was going to break him in the fight. In my (expletive) head, that’s my game plan. Hindsight’s always 20/20. He is so good at the games, of making you not the fighter that you usually are. And I got mad.