On Saturday night, some of the UFC’s most exciting strikers returned to the Octagon in Chicago.
Wrestling ended up being the big story coming out of the main event after Khamzat Chimaev produced a shutout win over Dricus du Plessis to win the middleweight title.
On the main card, there was a three-fight run that featured some stand-up specialists producing arguably their best work inside the Octagon to date.
Lerone Murphy stunned Aaron Pico with a spinning back elbow knockout which remarkably followed a similar finish from Carlos Prates in the fight previous.
While there were some big winners at UFC 319, there was one fighter who wasn’t in action on August 16 that clearly took some joy in reacting to the results.
Ian Machado Garry posts celebratory reaction to Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Carlos Prates’ UFC 319 wins
In back-to-back main card fights, Carlos Prates and Michael ‘Venom’ Page both proved why they are so exciting to watch every time they step inside the Octagon.
Prates knocked out Geoff Neal in the first round to bounce back from the first defeat of his UFC career and get his welterweight momentum back on track.
While Page admitted that he made a mistake against Jared Cannonier, fans were still treated to a classic ‘MVP’ performance in Chicago.
Both men are incredibly dangerous while the fight stays standing, but one thing that they share in common is that in their short UFC careers, they’ve suffered their only defeat to the same opponent.
| UFC career statistics | Carlos Prates | Michael ‘Venom’ Page |
| UFC record | 5-1 | 3-1 |
| Opponent they lost to | Ian Machado Garry | Ian Machado Garry |
| Event and result | UFC Kansas City (2025) – Unanimous decision after 5 rounds | UFC 303 (2024) – Unanimous decision after 3 rounds |
Clearly, Ian Machado Garry was paying attention to what went down at UFC 319 on Saturday night.
The Irishman didn’t need to say too much when reflecting on his former opponents’ wins, simply posting two emojis alongside a series of images on his Instagram.
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Michael ‘Venom’ Page could end up facing Carlos Prates in the near future
In his post-fight interview, Carlos Prates had a series of demands for Dana White, with two of them being quickly met.
‘The Nightmare’ wanted the UFC to sign his friend, to win a performance of the night bonus and to be booked on the promotion’s upcoming event in Brazil on October 11.
White confirmed his bonus and a spot in Rio de Janeiro, with Michael ‘Venom’ Page putting his hand up to step inside the Octagon with Prates.
‘MVP’ told the media in his post-fight press conference that he’d love the opportunity to face Prates and compete in Brazil, even stating that he’d be open to the fight being a five-round co-main event.