Michael “Venom” Page has officially arrived in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
UFC 299 marked the long-awaited Octagon debut of perennial Bellator Welterweight contender, Page, in Miami, Fla., last night (March 9, 2024). Always one to flaunt his showmanship mid-fight, Page styled his way to a relatively one-sided unanimous decision over Kevin Holland.
Before he even entered the Octagon, “MVP” put on a show with his Undertaker-inspired entrance. Former UFC Middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, was the first to do a similar World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) themed walk, but for Page’s first in UFC, he actually had more he wanted to display.
MICHAEL “VENOM” PAGE’S WALKOUT IN HIS UFC DEBUT #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/3LyT5YW6IS
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 10, 2024
“To be fair, we had quite a bit more. It would have been even more entertaining,” Page said in his UFC 299 post-fight scrum. “UFC was like, ‘Calm down for your first one’ (laughs). So, we had to strip it back a little bit.
“I just like to make it a show,” he continued. “It helps me just relax when I’m putting on a show. It just helps the time fly by and me have the best time ever. When I’m in that mode, I feel like I’m the most dangerous.”
Love it or hate it, Page’s entrances are a unique expression of personality not often seen in mixed martial arts (MMA). Typically UFC CEO, Dana White, is not a fan of these types of flashy displays and Page’s was no exception despite his performance afterward.
“No, no [I’m not a fan],” White firmly responded when asked at UFC 299’s post-fight press conference about more flashy entrances in the future.
For complete UFC 299 results and play-by-play, click HERE!