MVP at Middleweight? Maybe
” I can see my path to the top.” – Michael “Venom” Page
Michael “Venom” Page, known as MVP to longtime fight fans handed Shara Magomedov his first loss.
He was able to outstrike Magomedov to earn a unanimous decision victory in the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night event in Saudi Arabia. Page took a risk against an undefeated opponent a weight class above the one he normally competes in, but he also knows activity in the UFC is the best way to get used to fighting under the the UFC banner.
In the fight, Page played his counterstriking karate-based style that racked up wins for him in Bellator MMA. Afterward, Page was asked about making a run at middleweight after beating the number 14 ranked UFC middleweight.
“I’ve just got goals at 170,” Page said on ESPN’s post-recap show, “I think 170 at the moment although Belal’s got the belt, I think it’s still moving at the moment. To be fair the middleweight division is in a similar place. I don’t think it’s solidified with any one person, there’s a lot of moving parts. A lot of people that maybe normally don’t lose are losing at the moment so I can see my path to the top so I want to want to make that happen.”
“I can see my path to the top.” – Michael “Venom” Page
The win against Magomedov was Page’s second time competing at middleweight. Before that, the last time he competed as a middleweight was in 2013 at Super Fight League, which he won by submission.
In the UFC’s welterweight division, Page is currently ranked at 15. He certainly has options, but he seems focused on sticking to the welterweight division.
While he can see his path to the top, maybe his perspective will change since he sees both the middleweight and welterweight divisions as being up for grabs. When presented with a graphic of the middleweight rankings as they stand now, he already saw some fights that interested him.
He mentioned a few names that would make for some great main card fights in future events. Considering middleweight, he said, “There’s a ton of great fights to be had.”
To see which ones he liked, watch the full interview here:
