SUMMARY
- Michael 'Venom' Page opened up about his views on Shavkat Rakhmonov during an interview with Michael Bisping.
- Page recently joined the UFC and is set to face Kevin Holland at UFC 299 in March 2024.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page, aka MVP, is one of the biggest names to come out of Bellator. After almost a decade of fighting on Bellator, Page announced his free agency in July 2023. He was rumored to be joining the UFC after becoming a free agent. The rumor came true in December when MVP officially joined the UFC.
The welterweight fighter recently had a conversation with Michael Bisping about welterweights in the UFC and he had something interesting to say about the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. Bisping asked about Page’s views on Rakhmonov. The Kazakh fighter is 18-0 in pro-MMA with 18 finishes. However, Page claimed he sees holes in Rakhmonov’s skills.
Page said, “[He’s a] Tough guy but I see holes, I see some, I see a few holes there that can be exploited. Obviously, you can say it from the outside but I see a few holes that can be exploited. And uh that’s another exciting fight.”
Page is targeting the welterweight title in his upcoming UFC bouts. A common thing between Page and UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is they are both English. Page claimed that he has a personal relationship with Edwards. A title fight between the two in a stadium in the UK could be something that happens in the future.
Shavkat Rakhmonov responded to Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s call-out
After MVP announced his free agency, he talked about his target if he joined the UFC. In a video uploaded to Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel, Page used the example of former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler.
He said, “I want Top 5, Top 10 max…We’ve seen it with Michael Chandler. He went there, fought a top 10 Dan Hooker, great first win for him that just sprung him into title contention. That is the route I see myself in. I don’t see it in any other way. I don’t need a warm-up fight, and it’s not like I’ve been out of the game for ages. I’m ready to go now.” [h/t MMA Mania]
Rakhmonov, who was ranked at #6 at the time, took to X and wrote, “How about #6? @Michaelpage247” As of now, Rakhmonov is ranked third in the division.
Page, a kickboxing instructor, last fought in March 2023 at Bellator 292 against Goiti Yamauchi. The British fighter won the bout via TKO in the first round. Next, Page is scheduled to face Kevin Holland on March 9, 2024, at UFC 299. Holland, on the other hand, last fought Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Fight Night 227. Holland (25-10) lost that bout via split decision.
