5 fights for Michael ‘Venom’ Page after Bellator 281 loss

Michael ‘Venom’ Page came up short in his attempt at becoming Bellator interim welterweight champion. Despite pushing the pace and clearly being the more aggressive fighter, the judges awarded Logan Storley a split decision win.

Page is now in an interesting dilemma at 170 lbs. Since many believed he won the fight, the promotion should match him up with another top-ranked opponent. Following his first career loss to Douglas Lima, he fought against opponents that weren't in the top-5. Bellator’s matchmakers need to ensure that MVP is in meaningful fights rather than fights that just keep him active.

If ‘Venom’ manages to rebound from the loss and defeat top-ranked opponents, it’ll make a stronger argument for another title shot. He is one of the promotion’s most exciting fighters, so his bouts will garner plenty of attention. This list will look at five possible fights for Michael ‘Venom’ Page after his Bellator 281 loss.

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#5. No.4-ranked middleweight Fabian Edwards

Despite Page competing at welterweight, a move up for a one-off bout at 185 lbs shouldn’t be ruled out. He is coming off a title loss and could attempt a move to middleweight against another striker. Based on timing, a bout with No.4-ranked middleweight Fabian Edwards would be logical.

Both have fought at the same event, so they wouldn’t have to wait very long to compete. Edwards defeated former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida via first-round knockout in the co-main event. It was the biggest win of his career and a statement win in front of his home crowd. MVP wouldn’t be out of his element at 185 lbs and might perform better at a heavier weight class.

He stands at 6’3” and would have a size advantage over ‘The Assassin.’ It would be interesting to see how ‘Venom’ would perform at middleweight. Perhaps if he defeats Edwards, he could attempt a run at middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi.

#4. No.6-ranked Bellator middleweight Lorenz Larkin

Lorenz Larkin stated that he intends to return to the welterweight division. Based on his ranking and performance at 185 lbs, he should be matched up with a top-5 ranked welterweight. A bout with Page would be a great matchup to book for his return to 170 lbs.

Larkin is an experienced fighter who has fought in major promotions including Strikeforce, UFC, and now Bellator. If he wants to earn a welterweight title shot, picking up a win over MVP should secure that. It would be interesting if he’d be able to replicate Logan Storley’s gameplan and control Page on the ground.

It would be a great opportunity for ‘Venom’ to bounce back against another top-ranked opponent. His striking has always been the difference maker in his fights. If he’s able to make improvements in his takedown defense, he could be a bigger threat going forward.

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#3. Former Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov

Former Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov has been impressive as of late. He has turned things around since his split decision loss to Lorenz Larkin in 2019. Koreshkov is the No.6-ranked welterweight and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

‘Spartan’ defeated Adriano Rodrigues via first-round submission and followed that up with a dominant unanimous decision win over Sabah Homasi. His most recent win was arguably the most impressive as he finished Chance Rencountre with a devastating spinning back-kick. He was scheduled to fight Paul Daley in London, but was forced to withdraw from the event. This could benefit the promotion because if he’s cleared by the medical authorities to compete, the fight could be booked in the near future. Page didn’t absorb too much damage against Storley, so he might be eager to return to the cage.

With both MVP and Koreshkov being close in Bellator's welterweight rankings, the promotion could look to book this fight. It could be an intriguing matchup as both are primarily strikers. But ‘Spartan’ could have the edge should the fight get to the clinch or the ground.

#2. Rematch with Bellator interim welterweight champion Logan Storley

Michael 'Venom' Page (Left) and Logan Storley (Right) - Photo credit: Lucas Noonan/BellatorMMA

A rematch between Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Bellator interim welterweight champion Logan Storley shouldn’t be ruled out. Although their first encounter wasn’t what fans hoped for, there’s still a possibility that a rematch could be on the horizon. It’s unknown how long reigning champion Yaroslav Amosov will remain out of action, so Storley will most likely defend the interim title.

Jason Jackson and Douglas Lima are rumored to be competing in July. Depending on what transpires during the fight, ‘Storm’ could be waiting until October before he fights again. The promotion may perhaps want him in the cage sooner, which makes the rematch with Page more logical. Another reason why the rematch could come sooner is Scott Coker’s criticism of the outcome.

Both fighters would have an opportunity to silence doubters and put on a better show than their first matchup. With the champion out of action, Page vs. Storley 2 wouldn’t hold up the division.

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#1. Trilogy bout with former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima

Former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima is in an interesting situation. He is currently on a three-fight losing skid, but could earn a title shot should he defeat No.4-ranked Jason Jackson. Despite three-straight losses, Lima is still regarded as one of the top welterweights in the promotion.

Depending on the outcome of Lima vs. Jackson, the promotion could see value in booking the trilogy with MVP. ‘The Phenom’ finished ‘Venom’ in spectacular fashion in their first bout. He swept Page with a leg kick and landed a powerful right-hand that knocked him out.

MVP got his revenge in the rematch as he earned a split decision over the former champion. He wasn’t aggressive as he usual, which showed that he respected ‘The Phenom’s’ striking. Despite it not being a typical Page-style performance, two of the three judges scored the bout 29-28 in his favor. Based on what transpired in the rematch, a trilogy bout would be intriguing, especially if there are title implications.