Longtime Bellator welterweight Michael Page is set to make his UFC debut against Kevin Holland at UFC 299, after the UFC showed interest in him during his tenure at Bellator.
Michael Page had a hunch. He reckoned the UFC was eyeing him even before the negotiation table was set.
Fast forward to this Saturday. Page is all set to make his UFC debut. He’s squaring off against Kevin Holland in the main card fight at UFC 299. Page, a Bellator welterweight veteran, was a big shot there. But his eyes were always set on the UFC. And guess what? The feeling was mutual.
Towards the end of his Bellator stint, Page’s contract had a loophole. It let him explore non-MMA fights. That’s how he ended up in a bare-knuckle brawl with Mike Perry at BKFC 27. And that’s when, according to Page, the UFC started showing their cards.
Funny thing is, their first outreach was a bit of a blunder. Page recalls, “When I announced my bare-knuckle fight, folks started wondering, ‘Is he a free agent?’ The UFC was quick to ask the same. So we were like, oh, someone’s interested, huh! [Laughs.]”
But Page was still with Bellator. He told them, “I’ve got this much time left. We can talk after that.” And so, the conversation stayed open. It was a slow start, then things picked up speed. Even the fight announcement came just three days before everything was confirmed. “It’s been a wild ride, a roller-coaster ride,” Page admits.
Page’s professional MMA record stands at 21-2. His stunning knockouts and showmanship made him a Bellator superstar. Now, he’s ready to face Holland, a fighter cut from the same cloth. Page thinks it’s the perfect way to introduce himself to UFC fans.
Page jokes, “I keep telling everybody it’s going to be like a live, in-cage podcast with me and him talking. He loves to strike, I love to strike. He’s entertaining, he likes to talk, I like to kick people in the face. It just works.”
But it’s not just about a fun fight. Page wants to make a splash, just like Michael Chandler. He’s eyeing a quick path to a title shot. The 36-year-old Englishman believes a win over Holland will pave the way.
“I’m not here to make up numbers,” Page asserts. “I’m here for the belt. I’m here to get the bling. Getting to the top is key. That’s why I start with someone like Kevin Holland. It needs to be a challenge. I don’t have time to build myself up, and I don’t need to. The UFC agreed, and they’ve shown their intentions by giving me Kevin Holland first.”
Page adds, “The reason I got a fighter of this caliber is because our intentions align. I bring added value. I know how to market myself. I think they understand that me with a title and my marketing brain is great for everyone. So definitely, this win will put me up there.”
With the current welterweight champ Leon Edwards without a set opponent, a spectacular win could catapult Page to the front of the queue. A title fight between two English fighters would be a massive event in the UK.
“Stadium type big,” Page says of the potential matchup. “It’s so good for the U.K. It’s so good for inspiring more talented fighters in the future coming from that side of the world. I’m just going to keep manifesting, I’m going to keep putting it out there, and we’re going to make it happen.”
UFC 299 is happening this Saturday. The venue? The Kaseya Center in Miami.