Latest news with #MichaelVenomPage
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michael 'Venom' Page reveals the one factor that will decide UFC 319 blockbuster between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev - as the MMA star outlines his next career move
Michael 'Venom' Page is no ordinary mixed martial arts fighter. From the moment he first stepped into the cage as a professional more than a decade ago, Page has been a marked man, and for good reason. With a devastatingly efficient striking style honed in his background as a point kickboxing champion, Page has blurred the lines between showmanship and disdain for his opponents' abilities inside the cage. In a sport where making a name for one's self can prove difficult for even the most talented of fighters, Page became a viral star several times over for his spectacular knockouts in the now-defunct Bellator promotion. Now though, the 38-year-old has finally made his way into the UFC and has wasted little time announcing himself as a bonafide contender. After becoming the first man to defeat the highly-touted Dagestani Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov in February, Page is now set to take on Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 on Saturday. Victory over Cannonier could push him to the front of the queue at 185lbs, but Page told Daily Mail Sport that he has stuck to tried and tested methods in preparation for the bout. 'It's the same in the sense of how difficult it is,' he said. 'It's very intense at our gym. London Shootfighters is known for high intensity and really pushing fitness and sparring and all the rest. 'I just made a few adjustments in terms of my style and what I need to do for this fight specifically.' Page has fought the majority of his professional career 15lbs lighter in the welterweight division. However, the Westminster-born striker revealed that a move to middleweight appealed to him as it offers a clearer route up the ladder. He continued: 'I couldn't honestly tell you exactly what is going to happen because, like I said, the welterweight division just seems a bit stuck at the moment. 'Not many people are willing to take those risks because everyone's got their hand up and claims to be the next person in line to fight for the title. 'Some people that have dropped down from the title are trying to stay in and around that area and they don't want to take any risky fights. 'There's just not enough movement going on. I just want to get going. So middleweight might just be the place I need to do that in.' The main event of Saturday's event from Chicago Illinois will see reigning middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis defend his belt against Khamzat Chimaev. With his suffocating grappling skills, Chimaev has enjoyed a period of unprecedented dominance inside the Octagon since making a splash upon his debut in 2020. The undefeated star enters the clash as the bookies' favourite but Page added it would be unwise to count out the defending champion. 'I keep saying Du Plessis, I never understand it, but as much as he keeps winning,' Page added. 'I feel like his skill is just the art of knowing how to win. Because looking at him in terms of his skill attributes that he brings, he looks quite messy, he doesn't look like the cleanest. 'He doesn't look like your obvious champion, but he just knows how to drag out a win every single time. And that in itself is an amazing talent. 'But then I've seen Khamzat before, trained alongside him, and he's just a different specimen. So it's difficult, I think it's just a great fight.' 'I am going to say Khamzat, but I've been telling everybody, if Du Plessis wins, I'm never putting my money against him again. While a statement victory at the United Centre could put Page on a collision course for the middleweight title he insisted that at this stage of his career he is chasing the biggest possible. An all-British showdown with former welterweight champion Leon Edwards in front of a UK audience would certainly fit that bill. 'I think it would be good stylistically, but just in general,' Page added. 'Both me and him come from very similar backgrounds, and I think we can inspire a lot of people that come from similar backgrounds from the UK that are aspiring to do it. 'Because back in the day, even for myself, I had very few people to look at from the UK. Very few people that were from my background, very few people that had all of those things and were at the fighting at the top level. 'Now there's a potential to have like almost like, those classic [British] boxing fights that we haven't really had in MMA. And I just want to be a part of that.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Michael ‘Venom' Page to make championship weight in case of UFC 319 main event collapse as he nears shock MW title shot
MICHAEL 'VENOM' PAGE never in his wildest dreams thought about fighting for the middleweight title when he joined the UFC two years ago. But despite entering the promotion as a welterweight, he finds himself potentially just TWO fights away from vying for the 185lbs belt. 8 8 8 8 Page's unexpected middleweight journey continues in the early hours of Sunday morning on a stacked UFC 319 in Chicago. His second assignment in the weight class is wily veteran Jared Cannonier, who has ambitions of making one last run at the title. And Page knows a spectacular showing against 'The Killa Gorilla' could very well put him within touching distance of an unexpected crack at middleweight gold. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, he said of potentially moving into title contention with a win over Cannonier: "100 per cent. "And again, it's like what I say: Just keep pushing forward, keep progressing forward, as long as the fight that you get represents progression. "It does put me in a very, very good place. So this win 100 per cent [puts me in title contention]. "I'm not sure who the next person is gonna be, but it definitely puts me in a great location for the middleweight division." Page was all set on returning to welterweight after in February. 8 8 But he heard nothing but crickets from the slew of contenders jockeying for position in the stacked 170lbs division after dominating the previously undefeated Russian. He said: "I was like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna get loads of requests now to push for another big fight.' And it was just silent, man. It was silent. "So you know, I was asking questions and then I was getting given names that, for me, I was like, 'This doesn't make any sense.' "I was like, 'I've just beaten someone that I'm sure had he beaten me, he would be talking title elimination next.' "'So then why am I getting a top No.20 rank and a No.22-ranked?' And in my head, I was like, 'This doesn't make any sense.' "After speaking to a lot of people and going back and forth and so on and so forth, I realised the welterweight division is very political. "There's a lot of experienced guys that are at the top and it's a lot harder to push them to fight. "Whereas in in the middleweight division, there are a lot of up-and-coming guys, and they just wanna take fights just to try and keep proving themselves and going forward. "So I was just like, 'Yeah, let me just go to ask for a middleweight fight.' And I had a couple of names come through. "It landed on Cannonier, where it had [been] somebody else and I said yes to. Then that, I don't know, how it fell out, but it fell out. "And then Canonnier came and confirmed and I was like, 'Yes.' To be fair, it was definitely a more exciting fight." The middleweight title will be on the line just a few hours after Page locks horns with Cannonier. 8 8 And he'll will be making championship weight just in case something goes awry ahead of the eagerly anticipated showdown between champion Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev and back-up fighter Caio Borralho is unable to fight. He said: " 100 per cent I'm making championship weight. Like, why, why would I not?" He added: "I'm gonna make that weight and if something was to go wrong and they asked to put me in, please understand that I'm putting my hand up. "And I'm jumping straight into that fight, like, face first into that fight. Page faces a Cannonier looking to prove he's still capable of making a run to the title at the ripe old age of 41. And at this juncture of his career, Page doesn't foresee the American deviating from what got him to the dance. "If he's smart enough, he's gonna just want power forward," Page said." And like you say, get into cliches, get a hold of me, try and take me down to the floor, rough me up and utilise his size, utilise his strength. "And this is what we've been working for. I don't see him being able to do anything else. If he does anything else, it, it just makes the, the fight a lot easier for me. "If you try to stand, I know he's got heavy hands, but if you're gonna try to out strike me, it's gonna be a problem for you. "So again we've made the adjustments, we understand what he's gonna come in with."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Fighting in UFC is biggest weight I've ever felt
Michael 'Venom' Page says the pressure and expectation that comes with fighting in the UFC is unlike anything else he has ever felt in his Page - nicknamed MVP - signed with the UFC in 2023 after nine years with Bellator, where he built a reputation as one of the promotion's most dangerous and exciting 38-year-old won 16 of 18 fights in Bellator with a number of highlight-reel knockouts. Despite triumphing in two of his three bouts since joining the UFC, Page says the move has "carried a weight"."Usually I go in there and I'm comfortable to fight but I've realised UFC carries a massive weight because of its reputation, its history and the credibility you carry from winning these fights," said Page."It's the biggest weight I've felt from any organisation."Since Bellator was acquired by the PFL in 2023, Page is one of a number of fighters who left to continue their careers in the move has largely been a success but the other athletes have struggled. Former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Pitbull has looked unconvincing, recording one win and one defeat. Ex-Bellator bantamweight title holder Patchy Mix, meanwhile, was outclassed by Mario Bautista on his UFC debut in the co-main event at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, Britain's Lerone Murphy faces Aaron Pico - another former Bellator fighter - in a featherweight who faces American middleweight Jared Cannonier on the undercard, says he empathises with the former Bellator athletes who have struggled."I'm starting to see it more and more that the Bellator fighters are not performing the way I know they can," said Page."Pitbull has had a couple of fights and he hasn't looked like the Pitbull I've seen in Bellator - he was unbelievable. "I feel like the magnitude and weight they're carrying isn't allowing them to perform the way they could perform." 'This is my last lap in MMA' The fight with 41-year-old Cannonier represents Page's second successive bout at middleweight after he ended Magomedov's undefeated reign in spending the majority of his 13-year career at welterweight, Page says he has chosen to move up because he was struggling to secure fights in the lower weight class."Nobody at welterweight seems to like action - it's a slow division," said Page."I think there's a lot of people in the latter stage of their careers, so for them every fight means something a bit more."They don't want to take a risky fight, and I feel I represent a lot of risk because of the style I bring."Page's only title fight during his career was against American Logan Storley for the interim welterweight belt in 2022, where he suffered a split decision says competing in fights that "turn heads" is his main goal during the twilight of his career, but he has not given up on becoming a world middleweight belt will be on the line in the main event at Chicago's United Centre as South African champion Dricus du Plessis faces Russia's Khamzat Chimaev."With someone so experienced and dangerous, I can't look past Jared," said Cannonier."But my goal is to get a title fight in my last run. For me I feel like this is my last lap in MMA, and I want to retire from MMA before MMA retires me," said Page. "I'm doing a lot of work in the background to set up the next stage of my life, so for now it's about getting big fights and pushing towards the title."
The Independent
07-08-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Michael ‘Venom' Page on the frustrations that led to surprise fight with Jared Cannonier at UFC 319
Michael 'Venom' Page has explained his decision to stay at middleweight for his next UFC fight, despite previously expressing an intention to drop back to welterweight. A longtime welterweight fighter in Bellator, 'MVP' debuted in the UFC in the same division in March 2024, outpointing Kevin Holland. But after losing a decision to Ian Machado Garry last June, Page's next move was to head up to middleweight. There, the Briton proved his doubters wrong by outpointing the highly-touted Shara Magomedov in February. And although Page told The Independent before that bout, 'I'm fixated on getting business done [at welterweight],' his next fight will also take place at middleweight. The kickboxing specialist, 38, will face former title challenger Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 on 16 August. 'I want all the smoke, I want to go where the smoke is,' Page told The Independent on Wednesday (6 August). 'It feels like the guys in the welterweight division are not carrying any fire. It seems to be very political, it's a bit too technical about who fights who. 'There's even more people with even more claims of getting that title shot [than at middleweight], so a lot of people don't want to take those dangerous fights if they don't have to. And to add to the welterweight division, Islam is moving up as well now, which just holds up the division even more.' Page was referring to Islam Makhachev, who vacated the lightweight title in May with the intention of challenging for the welterweight belt. Makhachev is due to get his chance later this year, facing champion Jack Della Maddalena – potentially at UFC 322 in November. 'In the middleweight division, there are just a lot of hungry guys wanting to make it to the top,' Page continued. 'Everyone, it seems, is more excited to just fight and make big fights happen, continue to prove themselves. Even if they feel like they're next in line [for a title shot], they're still willing to take that extra fight to push them closer. "I was just tried of waiting, so I said: 'I've done it once [at middleweight], let me try it again.' Until things are cleared up down there, I'll just get some good fights at middleweight." Discussing how comfortable he felt at 185lb in his bout with Magomedov, Page added: 'I felt really good. It's weird, because most of your camp [even at welterweight], you're actually sparring at that weight [closer to 185lb]. So, although we cut down to whatever we cut down to, we never really stand around at [170lb]. So, it feels way more comfortable [at 185lb], because I've spent a lot more of my career – off-camera – at that weight.' Magomedov was the betting favourite against Page, entering that contest with an unbeaten record, but the latter's kickboxing capabilities trumped the Russian's. 'Even speaking to people afterwards, I knew he was the favourite,' Page said. 'I didn't go in there worried about that. I, and a lot of the British media, already knew it was a very good match-up for me. Anybody that's willing to stand in front of me is gonna have a problem.' Cannonier is also expected to stand in front of Page. The American, 41, is known for his heavy hands and previously fought at heavyweight and light-heavyweight. 'It'd be silly to overlook somebody of his calibre, who's fought absolutely everybody,' Page said. 'There's not really been one [fight] where he's been dominated. He's given all those names, every single one of those amazing fighters, a great fight. 'Heavyweight to light-heavyweight to middleweight, and I'm coming up to middleweight, so you know he's gonna be very strong. 'And he's a person that's going out on his shield. Even in his last fight: he got knocked down, it looked like it was going the other way, and he stuck in there, kept it going, then came back and won the fight himself.' Cannonier's last outing ended as a stoppage win over Gregory Rodrigues in February, with the 'Killa Gorilla' sealing the finish early in round four. With that, Cannonier snapped a two-fight losing streak. The American has fought a who's who of middleweights, from former champions Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya – who held the title when he beat Cannonier – to contenders Kelvin Gastelum, Marvin Vettori, Jack Hermansson and Nassourdine Imavov.
