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Michael Page and Richard Kiely are in trouble for their antics during Bellator: Dublin
Michael Page and Richard Kiely fought for under three minutes at Bellator 227, with the Brit winning by flying knee KO. In that short amount of time though, there were a lot of showboating and taunting that got them warnings and a point deduction for “MVP.”
Both men are in hot water for those antics, as according to a report from MMA Fighting, Kiely has been fined and Page is being reviewed for possible “further sanctions.”
Kiely has been docked $1000 for flipping the bird at Page, while Page could get penalized as well for his antics that got him a point deduction.
MMA isn’t officially sanctioned in Dublin, Ireland, where the event was held. Michael Mazzulli, the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and regulator for Bellator’s overseas events, confirmed the news and cited the Unified Rules’ stipulations about unsportsmanlike conduct.
The rule states that fighters are “expected to represent the sport in a positive light emphasizing sportsmanship and humility.”
According to the report, Mazzulli also praised referee Dan Miragliotta for issuing a warning and eventually deducting a point from Page. This contrasts from MVP’s point of view, who thinks Miragliotta was unprofessional and shouldn’t officiate any of his fights ever again.
“I was disgusted,” Page said post-fight. “Not only did he minus a point and put me in position, he pushed me at the end and called me a piece of s—t. Now, nobody should do that. That says to me that there’s something personal there. I don’t know what it is, but he should never be the referee for me, ever again.
“I demand an apology from him.”
With the victory, the 32-year-old Page improved his record to 15-1, while Kiely dropped to 3-2.