Michael “Venom” Page wants an all-Europe battle for his next fight in the UFC.
Earlier this month, Page made his highly anticipated UFC debut, winning a unanimous decision over Kevin Holland at UFC 299. The longtime Bellator standout entered the promotion already one of the more popular fighters in the sport and with a UFC win now under his belt, Page hopes his next outing can take place at the promotion’s rumored return to England in July, perhaps with the added layer of a good, old fashioned England vs. Ireland rivalry.
“Just looking at the rankings, I think one that makes the most sense would be Ian [Machado] Garry,” Page told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “Considering he thought I wasn’t going to get past Kevin. ... There was an interview he did, I’m not sure on what, they asked him his views on me, he was like, ‘Who is he fighting? Oh he’s not going to beat Kevin. No way he gets past Kevin.’ Very dismissive. Which is fine. People ask me about my views, everyone is entitle to their opinion. There’s no need to be angry about it, but now I’ve gotten past and maybe you could stop me?
“In the U.K. as well, it’s perfect. That would be a lot of noise there, and I think it’s a good fight. I think he’s ranked seventh, seven is my lucky number.”
Lately, Garry has engendered a lot of animosity among the MMA community for his actions and comments outside of the cage, as well as his personal relationships. And while some may view that as a bad thing, Page sees it as a bonus for building interest.
“He’s a great fighter,” Page said. “Again, no need to be negative towards anybody. He’s sparked a lot of emotional reactions from a lot of people, from his personality, his performances, he’s doing good. But I definitely believe I can beat him, so why not?”
Garry most recently competed at UFC 298, wining a split decision over Geoff Neal, a performance that Page said “wasn’t his best” but ultimately doesn’t change his interest. Garry’s interest is another thing though. “The Future” already called for a fight with former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington which seems to be building some momentum, which could leave Page out in the cold.
And that’s fine for “MVP” if that’s the case, because he’s not focused on specific fights. Back in Bellator, Page never won a title, and he believes it’s because he wasn’t focused on doing so. But now in the UFC, that’s the goal, and whatever fights get him there, those are the ones he wants.
“I feel like I was very blasé about getting the belt in general,” Page said when asked about never winning the Bellator title. “Every time I got there I was like, ‘I’m just enjoying myself, fighting, duh duh duh.’ I think that attitude means you’re going target because I’m not actually aiming for it. Whereas here I’m like, ‘No, I want the belt.’
“I don’t know. I just feel like being a bit more specific about your intentions is going to help with where you get to. Just understanding now, this makes me change what I voice. So yeah, I want the title over here, whereas in Bellator I was like, ‘Eh, if I get the title I don’t care, I just want exciting fights.’ I delivered exciting fights and never got the title. Now I’m here I’m like, ‘I want exciting fights, I want exciting knockouts, and I want the belt.’ There’s a difference.”
