Bellator 221 press conference - Photo by Mike Pendleton for MyMMANews
Next Stop on the MVP Hype Train: Douglas Lima at Bellator 221
Prior to the Bellator Welterweight Grand Pix one of the biggest questions was ‘is Michael “Venom” Page for real?’ Well everyone found out that he can beat the big names after knocking off Paul Daley in the opening round of the tournament.
The next stop on the MVP hype train come this Saturday and will mark the next step as the undefeated Page (14-0) is set to face former two-time Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima in the semifinals of the tournament. A win would prove that the hype behind the British fighter is real.
“When I think about the kid and his talent it’s unbelievable the things he can do inside the cage,” Bellator CEO Scott Coker said at the Bellator 221 press conference.
Page, who stands a tall and long 6 feet 3 inches, knows that Lima is tough as nails and has already proven himself. If MVP plans to add his name to the elites of the division he cannot over look his Brazilian counterpart.
“I got a lot of respect for the man [Lima] that’ll be across the cage,” said Page. “I got to take it seriously like I do in every fight, but that much more seriously in this fight.”
The MMA world has seen Page’s flashy moves inside the cage and while the competition continues to get harder for the 32 year old, he plans on going out there and being loose as always.
“I’m going to be me and put on a show just like I always do,” said Page. “I enjoy what I do and I’m going to go inside the cage and do what it is I love to do.”
When Page steps inside the cage he presents something that Lima has not seen often in Lima’s 37-fight career. That something is his fighting style. Page comes from a karate background and Lima admits he’s going to have to adjust to that on the fly.
“I’m going against an undefeated guy with a karate background,” said the former champion. “It’s a different style than pretty much anyone I’ve ever faced before. It’s going to be another tough fight. I’m looking forward to it.”
A win for Page will not only make him live up to the hype around him. It could put him has the number one face of British MMA. A win over Lima not only gives him a win over a former champ, but it also puts him into the grand pix finals where he’d face the winner of current champion Rory MacDonald and Neiman Gracie. The winner of the tournament will be considered the best welterweight in the promotion and they will receive one million dollars from rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
