Michael Jerome Reece-Page[2][3] (born 7 April 1987), better known as Michael "Venom" Page or MVP, is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[4][5] As of 12 March 2024, he is #13 in the UFC welterweight rankings.[6]
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He is recognized in the MMA community for his unorthodox fighting style, which originated from freestyle kickboxing (points fighting) and sport karate.[7][8] He has also competed professionally as a kickboxer, boxer and bare-knuckle boxer.
Page was born in St Mary's Hospital, London to Curtis Page Sr. and Pauline Reece, who were both Lau Gar kung fu practitioners.[9] His father, a British Telecom employee, hailed from Trinidad while his mother, a nurse, was from Jamaica.[4][5][10][11] Page is a maternal nephew of Lau Gar Master Stan Brown, who was also the instructor of his father.[12][13] He has nine siblings, three of whom are adopted.[14] Page attended Quintin Kynaston School in St John's Wood, alongside Olympian judoka Ashley McKenzie.[15][16] He grew up in NW8 near Edgware Road and Lisson Green before moving to W10 near Queen's Park in 2003.[12][15][17] Since almost everyone in his family was involved in martial arts, he felt it was natural to follow suit.[18][19]
Page began training in Lau Gar at the age of 3 and competed at his first kickboxing tournament at the age of 5.[21][22][23] By the age of 8, he began to devote himself to competition and entered his first international tournament in Germany.[13][24]
Dissatisfied with the lack of exposure[46] as well as the politics[47] involved in competing among various kickboxing associations, Page decided to cross over into mixed martial arts.[48][49] He initially considered going to American Top Team[50] during his transition into MMA since his older siblings live in Miami[18] but chose to start his career with London Shootfighters[51] in July 2011.[52] Page spends up to seven hours training in the gym, and does not undergo IV therapy after cutting weight.[53][54] He cross-trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Gracie Barra.[55] Page is represented by Paradigm Sports Management.[56][57]
Page made his MMA debut at UCMMA 26 against Ben Dishman on 4 February 2012 and won via technical knockout from a first round tornado kick.[58] His original opponent Sam Boo withdrew a day before the fight.[59][60] The fight went viral and comparisons were drawn between Page and Anderson Silva.[61][62][63] He was paid 200 for the bout.[64]
On 7 April 2012, Page faced Miguel Bernard at UCMMA 27 in a 176 lb catchweight bout despite weighing in at 165 lb.[65] Page won in the first round after forcing Bernard to tap out upon transitioning from a triangle choke into an armbar.[66]
Page briefly returned to kickboxing when he fought in a UK-1 bout on 18 August 2012 at UCMMA 29. Page was supposed to challenge UCMMA UK-1 welterweight champion Peter Irving for the belt.[67][68] However, Irving pulled out of the fight due to a neck injury[12] and was replaced by Jefferson George after another three opponents dropped out within a month for undisclosed reasons.[69][70] Page won after knocking out George from a two punch combination in the second round.[71]
After winning his UK-1 fight against Jefferson George, Page announced that he had signed a five-fight contract with Bellator MMA and that he would fight for Bellator and Super Fight League under their respective contracts.[76][77]
Page was expected to make his promotional debut at Bellator 82 but pulled out of the bout citing surgery for an old injury.[78][79][80] Another potential yet unannounced debut at Bellator 90 against Sean Powers was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.[81]
Page was scheduled to fight Kenny Ento at Bellator 102[84] but withdrew due to a rib cartilage injury,[85][86] an ankle injury,[87] and a knee injury.[88] A later appearance slated for Bellator 109 against Andrew Osborne was also cancelled because of lingering injuries.[89]
Page was slated to fight Fight Master: Bellator MMA contestant Marcus Aurelio at Bellator 120 on 17 May 2014 but Aurelio withdrew due to injury.[90][91] Ricky Rainey was immediately sought as a replacement after his Bellator 116 victory[92] and was informed of his opponent a week later.[93] Page won via technical knockout in the first round.[94]
Page was expected to face Curtis Millender at Bellator 134.[98] However, Page pulled out of the fight due to a cut over his left eye which was sustained during a guard passing drill[99] and required six stitches.[100] He was replaced by Brennan Ward.[101]
He was expected to fight Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 151 as the co-main event[110] but withdrew from the bout as he was already committed to officiate at the W.A.K.O. Irish Open 2016 (Dublin)[111] as coach of the Top Ten UK team.[112] He was replaced by Gilbert Smith.[113]
Page's fight with Fernando Gonzalez was rescheduled[117] for Bellator 158 on 16 July 2016 but visa issues forced Gonzalez to withdraw.[118] Page accepted a contract to fight Paul Daley after Josh Koscheck withdrew but Daley chose to fight Douglas Lima instead.[119] Page fought Evangelista Santos[citation needed] and won by knocking out Santos with a flying knee in the second round.[120] Santos underwent surgery afterwards due to a depressed frontal sinus fracture.[121] The fight went viral partly due to the Pokmon Go-inspired post-fight celebration.[122]
In July 2016, Bellator claimed that Page re-signed[123] with the promotion and had four fights left on his contract.[124] However, Page stated that he did not re-sign but had two fights left from existing contractual provisions.[125]
A proposed bout between Page and Paul Daley was targeted for Bellator 179 but negotiations fell through after Daley chose to fight Rory MacDonald instead.[128] Page was supposed to fight Derek Anderson[129] but an old knee injury[130][131] and neck injury forced him off the card.[132] Daley attempted to brawl with Page after losing his fight.[133] Another fight with Daley was proposed for September 2017 in London but was turned down by Daley, who instead opted to fight Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 183.[134][135]
Page fought David Rickels on 25 May 2018 at Bellator 200 as the co-main event.[138] He won the fight via verbal submission due to a punch in the second round that opened a cut above Rickels' left eye.[139][140] He spent a portion of his training camp at Straight Blast Gym - Ireland in preparation for the fight.[141] He paid tribute to his cousin Helena Ramsay, a victim of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, during the open workout and post-fight interview.[142][143]
On 30 July 2018, Page confirmed signing a new six-fight contract with Bellator, three for the tournament and three as part of the champion clause.[144] The contract will let him box, subject to Bellator's approval.[145]
Page faced Paul Daley in the quarter-final of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Tournament on 16 February 2019 at Bellator 216.[146][147] He won by unanimous decision, in an uneventful fight in which neither fighter was able to mount any significant offence.[148][149] His father died prior to the fight on 26 December 2018.[150][151]
Page fought former two-time Bellator Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima in the semi-final of the welterweight tournament on 11 May 2019 at Bellator 221.[152] Despite having some initial success, Page lost the fight via knockout in the second round.[153]
Page was expected to headline Bellator London 2 against Derek Anderson on 23 November 2019 but Anderson withdrew for undisclosed reasons on 12 November 2019.[156][157] Page instead fought Giovanni Melillo and won by knockout in the first round.[158][159]
Page faced Derek Anderson at Bellator 258 on 7 May 2021. Page was supposed to fight Anderson twice before at Bellator 179 and Bellator London 2.[164] During the first round, Page broke and flattened Anderson's nose with a kick, leading to the doctor stopping the fight between rounds.[165]
Page was scheduled to fight for the Bellator Welterweight World Championship against reigning champion Yaroslav Amosov on 13 May 2022 at Bellator 281.[168] However, Amosov pulled out of the bout to fight in the Russo-Ukrainian War and was replaced by Logan Storley with the bout instead being for the interim Bellator Welterweight World Championship.[169] Page lost the bout via split decision.[170]
In December 2023, it was announced that Page has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship after free agency. Page made his UFC debut against Kevin Holland on 9 March 2024 at UFC 299.[174] He won the bout by unanimous decision.[175]
On 12 July 2017, it was announced that Page signed a three-year, fifteen-fight contract[177] with Hayemaker Ringstar, a promotional joint venture of David Haye and Richard Schaefer.[178] Page began training under the tutelage of Ismael Salas at Hayemaker HQ on 27 July 2017,[179] alongside Joe Joyce, Qais Ashfaq, and Willy Hutchinson.[180] While he still trains at London Shootfighters, he spends four days a week training at Hayemaker HQ.[181][182] Page compared the transition from MMA to boxing to a "sprinter turning into a long distance runner."[183] He did commentary for Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor in Las Vegas with Mike Costello and Steve Bunce on BBC Radio 5 Live.[184]
Page made his boxing debut on 20 October 2017 at Hayemaker Ringstar Fight Night against Jonathan Castano as the co-main event.[185] He won via technical knockout in the third round.[186] He was supposed to debut on the undercard of Haye vs. Bellew but was still negotiating with Bellator at the time.[181]
In June 2022, it was announced that Page would make his bare-knuckle boxing debut for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He fought Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Mike Perry on 20 August 2022 in the main event at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 27: London.[193] Page lost by majority decision after the sixth round after the bout was declared a split draw decision following the first five rounds.[194]
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