Before Anderson Silva was the “greatest of all time”, he started out as a young prospect. Someone with a large amount of potential, but had never proven himself against the best in the world. This is how any great fighter starts out, and the next big thing in MMA appears to be 26-year old Michael “Venom” Page.
Since turning pro in 2012, Page has a perfect 5-0 record, finishing all of his fights. For his fourth fight, Page stepped into the Bellator cage. On the biggest stage in his mixed martial arts career, Page won his fight by knockout – ten seconds into the very first round. If those results don’t prove this guy’s confidence in himself, then his fighting style does, which has a Silva-esque appearance to it. Page holds his hands down by his knees, and sticks his chin out for his opponents to hit. He breaks the rules of proper striking technique, yet it has been working for him. In five fights I can hardly recall a time I’ve seen him even put his hands up to block a strike, but this guy is still undefeated.
It may be a little pre-mature to say this, but I think Page is one of the best strikers in MMA. Five fights might not be enough evidence to back that statement up, but in his first fight he knocked out a guy with a tornado kick, something I’ve never seen before. He closes the distance between him and his opponent very quickly, so quickly it appears to catch his counterpart completely off-guard. He can counter strike excellently, and is equally good with his hands and feet. Oh, he’s good on the ground, too, and has won two fights by submission.
Just the way he fights, with hands down and arms loose, his confidence shows, and his style and belief in himself is going to take him a long way in this sport. The UFC would be smart to sign this guy so he can prove himself against top competition. His unique style would also certainly have people tuning in to watch him fight. If he can keep winning fights, it should be only a matter of time before the UFC comes calling, and he can make an impression at either middleweight or welterweight. It will be hard to imagine someone who can handle his striking ability, speed and size.
A good matchup for him in the UFC would be against welterweight Stephen Thompson. Thompson is a feared striker himself, and made his UFC debut a memorable one by winning by head kick. If Page was signed by the UFC, this matchup of high level strikers would most likely be an entertaining fight.
Like I said, if he continues to win impressively again, he should make his way to the UFC in no time.
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