Bellator 248: Michael ‘Venom’ Page chasing Douglas Lima redemption after piece of history in Paris
- ‘MVP’ faces Ross Houston in Saturday’s main event of the first show by a major MMA organisation in France, but Lima ‘is the fight I want’
- ‘If he stays in middleweight, I’m going to meet him in middleweight. If he wants to move up to light heavy or heavyweight, I’m going to meet him there’
With a highlight reel of devastating knockouts ranging from jumping knees to tornado kicks, and his viral celebrations channelling pop culture phenomena like Pokemon and The Avengers, Michael “Venom” Page is the epitome of showmanship in MMA.
So it’s no surprise to see him headlining Saturday’s historic Bellator 248 card, when the promotion will become the first major MMA organisation to host a show in France. The 33-year-old English welterweight (17-1) takes on the formidable former Cage Warriors champ Ross “The Hitman” Houston (8-0) of Scotland.
A born entertainer and one of the brightest jewels in Bellator’s crown, Page should arguably be an even bigger name on the world stage. It’s not just his personality, either – he’s a multiple-time world champion in kick-boxing and undefeated in boxing, and is signed to Paradigm Sports Management with the same agents as Conor McGregor.
But in terms of superstar status, former UFC two-division champ McGregor is in a different league.
One explanation, perhaps, is the level of competition “MVP” has faced – there’s a popular notion he’s built the bulk of his record by “crushing cans”.
