UFC 299 was guaranteed to be an entertaining night of action and boy has it delivered so far. With some epic fights and finishes from top to bottom, there has been no shortage of talking points. As such, the latest one comes from the main card bout, Michael Venom Page vs Kevin Holland.
Coming into this one, many were keen to see how Michael Page would fare in the big leagues. Having spent the majority of his career in Bellator and built a career off viral knockouts, there was a big question about the fighter’s reputation. Seeing that he never really fought top-tier opposition, there was an expectation that the Englishman was likely not on the same level as UFC fighters.
Electric welterweight matchup on deck 💥@Trailblaze2Top vs @MichaelPage247
[ The #UFC299 Main Card is LIVE now on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/3soT3G0r96
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
However, on the night, MVP took to the Octagon like a duck to water and seemed like the seasoned professional that he is. Now 36 years old, Page has had a tenured career, and it showed during his performance against Kevin Holland. Safe to say, Page’s UFC debut went much better than what many expected.
Michael Venom Page’s entertaining UFC debut
Naturally, fans aligned themselves more with the UFC man in Kevin Holland. Despite this, the crowd greeted Michael Venom Page with a loud pop and cheers. Owing to the innumerable highlight reel knockouts that Page has collected in his career, many still respected him as a fighter. All things considered, MVP fully repaid the love and support shown to him by the fans.
On the night, Michael Page made his walk to “Rest in Peace”, popularly known as The Undertaker theme song by many. Donning a black cape, the fighter fully delved into his entertaining character and personality, continuing his trend of making pop culture references during his fights. Further, Page continued his antics during the fight as well, much to the frustration of Holland.
You can only make a first impression once 😮💨@MichaelPage247 is ready to put on a show! #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/8SSP0caOuC
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
Although he was finally on the big UFC stage, he did not shy away from the habits and showmanship that got him there. As such, he continued making his taunting gestures and beckoning to his opponent. Whilst his performance was nothing spectacular, it was still a decisive win over a noteworthy contender like Holland.
MVP proves the doubters wrong with his win over Kevin Holland
For the most part, many have placed asterisks on Michael Venom Page and his 22-2 record. Labeled as a ‘can crusher’ and accused of cherry-picking his fights, the Englishman has never been given his flowers, especially by UFC fans. With that said, barring another highlight reel knockout, MVP had possibly the best debut that he could have asked for.
Starting off with some vicious elbows, Page clearly inflicted a lot of damage on Kevin Holland. Further, he also went on to drop his opponent in the second before taunting and clowning him in the third. In the end, MVP comfortably coasted to a unanimous decision victory. All things considered, the matchup was tailor-made for two very similar fighters.
Speaking in the post-fight interview, Page stated “I got a little more work to do — a lot more work to do. But this is where I was supposed to be. Anybody that doubted I’m supposed to be here, you can see it for yourself.” Although he refused to make a callout, fans of the fighter can expect great things from him moving forward. Notably, he recognizes that he is yet to get to the level he needs to be at, but is willing to work to get there.
