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There's still no news on Michael 'Venom' Page's next destination in his journey as a mixed martial artist. For years, the 170-pounder was Bellator's flashiest striker, but was dogged by criticisms about the perceived low-level competition he faced. Unfortunately, once he began facing top-ranked foes, he lost his unbeaten record.
Furthermore, he never managed to capture a world championship in the promotion that made him a notable name in the sport. But now, the Englishman is 36 years old and in the twilight of his career. But there's still fan interest in him, and with his Bellator contract expired, many wonder if he is UFC-bound.
In an interview on FREESTYLEBENDER about his potential UFC debut, Michael 'Venom' Page spoke (at 15:32 minutes) about his expectations, including being given treatment similar to former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who was not given anyone ranked outside of the top 10:
"I want top five, top 10, max. I don't feel like I need to prove myself all over again. I don't need to do that. I just wanna go in there and, you know, we've seen it with the likes of Michael Chandler. He went in there, you know, he fought a, I think he was top 10 at the time, Dan Hooker, um, great first win for him that just sprung him into title contention. That is the route I see myself in."
As someone who once fought for the Bellator interim welterweight title, Michael 'Venom' Page doesn't expect to have to go through a string of lower-ranked opponents to prove himself.
Who handed Michael 'Venom' Page his first-ever MMA loss?
Michael 'Venom' Page followed an early career path that's similar to newly minted UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley's initial run. The pair are flashy strikers who spent most of their careers building undefeated records against overmatched foes, as they developed their skill-set and confidence in the cage.
However, while O'Malley eventually rose to championship status, Page did not. At Bellator 221, he suffered a stunning knockout loss against Douglas Lima in a bout that he was competitive in up until the end.
