Former Bellator MMA superstar Michael Page, fresh off his decision win over Kevin Holland at UFC 299, will make his Octagon return as part of the UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) event, going down this Sat. night (June 29, 2024) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Opponent Ian Garry doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about.
“The fight against ‘MVP’, for me, is the first time in the UFC I’m having a fight where I’m expected to win,” Garry told New York Post Sports (transcribed by MMA News). “People expect me to go out there and give it to this guy. And people give him hype. People (say), ‘He’s this! He’s done that!’ He never won a world title in Bellator. Now he’s coming to the UFC, which is the greatest organization in fighting, and he thinks he’s gonna come into this division and do what? Win a world title?”
Garry is currently the -130 betting favorite.
“He couldn’t do it in Bellator and he thinks he’s gonna do it here? He is not gonna touch me and he is not gonna touch anybody above me in the rankings,” Garry continued. “This is the end of his career. I am 11 years younger than him. I am faster than him. I am prettier than him. I’m more technical than him. In every single which way, I am going to outclass him. I am going to prove that there are levels to this game.”
Unfortunately for the Irishman, their fight will remain three rounds.
The 26 year-old Garry (14-0) is currently ranked seven spots ahead of Page (22-2) in the official welterweight rankings (see them here). A victory for “The Future” could put him within striking distance of the 170-pound title, depending on what happens at UFC 304.
For the rest of the UFC 303 fight card and PPV lineup click here.