Michael Page wins UFC debut, baffles and out-strikes Kevin Holland at UFC 299
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to us tonight, March 9, 2024, for UFC 299, a 14-fight card going down from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Headlining the event is bantamweight championship rematch between Sean O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) and the only man to ever defeat him, no. 5 ranked Marlon Vera (23-8-1).
Co-headlining the event is a lightweight encounter between no. 3 ranked former interim champion Dustin Poirier (29-8, 1 NC) and no. 11 ranked Benoit Saint-Denis (13-1, 1 NC).
Our feature fight of the evening came in the welterweight division between no. 13 ranked Kevin Holland (25-11, 1 NC) and promotional newcomer Michael Page (22-2), someone we’ve waited a long time to finally see compete inside the octagon.
Holland had gone 4-3 since dropping down to 170 lbs showcasing victories over the likes of Alex Oliveira (TKO), Tim Means (D’Arce choke), Santiago Ponzinibbio (KO), and Michael Chiesa (D’Arce choke), with losses coming to Khamzat Chimaev (D’Arce choke), Stephen Thompson (TKO), and Jack Della Maddalena (SD).
Page on the other hand boasted notable wins against Evangelista Santos (KO), Paul Daley (UD), Derek Anderson (TKO), Douglas Lima (SD), and Goiti Yamauchi (TKO), his only defeats coming to Douglas Lima (KO) in their first fight, and then Logan Storley (SD) in their interim title fight, most people of which believed he won.
Continue reading to see how our 170 lb feature fight went down:
Official Result: Michael Page def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Page landed a heavy leg kick that spun Holland around once the fight began. Page looked great throughout the opening round, landing a number of right hands, covering an impressive amount of distance in doing so each time.
Page also landed a nasty spinning back elbow as the opening round came to a close, Holland of which just ate it.
Holland caught Page with a good right hand in the second and tied up with him, taking him down immediately following and taking his back. Page was in deep trouble with a rear naked choke fully locked in, before he turned to his back and escaped it. Page eventually returns to his feet, dropping Holland with that step in right hand.
Page continued to win the striking exchanges and stuff Holland’s takedowns throughout the third and final round.
After a win in his UFC debut Michael ‘Venom’ Page will in all likelihood enter the top 15 of the UFC’s welterweight rankings.
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