Tag: Michael Page

Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’ 

While he admits the submission hold was deep, Michael “Venom” Page says he was never concerned about getting choked out by Ian Garry at UFC 303. Page made the walk inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at last month’s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon after swapping Bellator for the […]

Continue Reading Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’  at MMA News.

While he admits the submission hold was deep, Michael “Venom” Page says he was never concerned about getting choked out by Ian Garry at UFC 303.

Page made the walk inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at last month’s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon after swapping Bellator for the UFC in late 2023.

While “MVP” immediately burst into the rankings on debut by getting the better of Kevin Holland in Miami this past March, he was unable to climb further toward his targeted all-English title fight with Leon Edwards on June 29.

Instead, Garry cemented his top 10 spot by narrowly getting the better of the Londoner on the scorecards in the UFC 303 main card opener. The Irishman utilized his grappling to enjoy large periods of control in rounds one and three.

For the most part, Page didn’t appear in danger of getting finished throughout the close fight. He did, however, find himself in a worrying spot during the first grappling exchange, as “The Future” attempted a rear-naked choke.

But although many were surprised to see “MVP” escape the hold, the man himself was less shocked…

Page: Not Getting Choked Out Is One Of My Jiu-Jitsu ‘Superpowers’

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on his first UFC setback and failed attempt to blemish the perfect professional record of Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion.

The Brit was specifically asked about the compromising position he found himself in on the ground shortly into the opening round, having no doubt drew out cries of ‘he’s going to tap’ from some fans watching at home.

Page is yet to be submitted in 25 pro fights, and he says that’s for good reason.

“I’m very difficult to choke. In jiu-jitsu, that seems to be one of my superpowers. It’s always hard for people to finish chokes on me,” Page said. “When I got into that position…that was way closer than (against Holland). When I say closer, yeah, it was deep, but there was no way I was tapping and I wasn’t going to sleep either.

“Not to give away anything, but like I said, I am very difficult to choke,” Page continued. “Even in the gym, there’s guys that get me really deep and they’re like, ‘What the f…?!’ Their arms burn out before I tap. So luckily, I’m stubborn in that area. But it was a deep choke (at UFC 303).”

Whether Page will need to prove that once again opposite one of the welterweight division’s top grapplers next time out or will instead be matched against a fellow striker remains to be seen.

But either way, “MVP” has touted his extra motivation since the defeat in Las Vegas and vowed to bounce back as his pursuit of gold continues.

Continue Reading Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’  at MMA News.

Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’ 

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division. The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing […]

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division.

The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing his grappling to edge frames one and three on the scorecards.

The result marked the latest addition to Garry’s undefeated professional record and moved his UFC slate to 8-0, cementing his top 10 spot in the process.

While “The Future” has confidently expressed that he’ll now move on to focusing on those above him in the pecking order and the title, “MVP” is confident he’ll soon have his résumé blemished…

Page Didn’t Feel A Future Champion Against Garry At UFC 303

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on the defeat he suffered in what marked just his second fight competing on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage following a decade in Bellator.

The Londoner expressed frustration with his performance inside T-Mobile Arena, suggesting the result was more down to his own shortcomings than Garry’s efforts inside the Octagon.

With that in mind, Page didn’t feel like he was squaring off against a sure-fire future champion. Far from it, in fact. “Venom” recalled facing someone who would get “killed” by UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards and top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“Not all. No,” Page said when asked if he sees Garry as a future champion. “Because if that’s the game you’re going to (use) when you get a decent striker, then Leon is going to kill you anyway, then Shavkat is going to kill you anyway. There’s a few guys in there that I just don’t see him surpassing. … Even in some of the areas, he didn’t feel massively strong. I’m not even trying to be disrespectful to him, because again, he’s done his job, he was smart about how he kind of went by it. But for me, regardless, this game for me is about combat. It’s about fighting. Not about stealing wins.

“Even like I said, that last round, I didn’t necessarily need to stand up or need to let him stand up. I could’ve stayed there and just dragged it out and potentially got a better score in the third round and maybe that would’ve swayed it, but that’s not the game I’m in. I’m in a combat game. Like, I want to cause damage, I want to hurt people,” Page continued. “So yeah, I don’t see him progressing to the top. I think he’s talented. I think he’ll always be around there, top 10, top five, and then he’ll keep losing out to certain people. But he is still talented, and obviously he’s got a loads of time to progress and get better anyway.”

Garry no doubt feels differently, having frequently insisted that a title crowning on MMA’s biggest stage is inevitable. He’ll look to prove that when he returns to action, potentially against one of the names mentioned by Page.

Post-UFC 303, the Irishman had the name of Rakhmonov on his lips. While he got a positive response from “Nomad,” it remains to be seen if the UFC will share the same outlook and pair them together next.

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’ 

Not everyone was impressed by Ian Garry’s performance at UFC 303, but given what he sees in Michael “Venom” Page’s style, a fellow Irish fighter seemingly was. Garry cemented his spot in the welterweight top 10 late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view in Las Vegas, opening the main card opposite “MVP.” The […]

Continue Reading Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’  at MMA News.

Not everyone was impressed by Ian Garry’s performance at UFC 303, but given what he sees in Michael “Venom” Page’s style, a fellow Irish fighter seemingly was.

Garry cemented his spot in the welterweight top 10 late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view in Las Vegas, opening the main card opposite “MVP.”

The Irishman was vocal in the lead-up about his lack of interest when it came to sharing the cage with the lower-ranked Englishman, insisting he only accepted the matchup to get on the undercard of what was originally planned to be Conor McGregor’s comeback.

“The Notorious” ultimately pulled out and didn’t make the walk on June 29. Garry did, however, and had his hand raised in a close decision against Page, who was making just his second UFC appearance following a successful debut in March.

Having gone to the scorecards in his fights against Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, the Dubliner’s run of decisions and the competitive nature of his clash with “Venom” have left some critical of “The Future” and dismissing his chances of competing against the elite of the division.

One of Garry’s fellow countrymen, however, has suggested that such a narrative does a disservice to the challenge “MVP” presents inside the cage…

Loughran Says Criticism Of Garry’s UFC 303 Performance Is Unfair

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, UFC bantamweight prospect Caolan Loughran gave his take on a number of notable prospects, stars, and champions currently competing on MMA’s biggest stage.

When it came to Garry, the former Cage Warriors champion admitted that he hadn’t been a fan of his compatriot’s approach to fight buildups in the past.

But after noting an improvement when it came to his remarks ahead of UFC 303, Loughran pushed back on negative takes regarding Garry’s victory over Page on fight night.

“I haven’t met Ian since he was an amateur. I haven’t seen him since the regional scene. I haven’t seen him in years,” Loughran said. “I was actually liking the way he was talking (ahead of UFC 303). And he’s winning fights in the UFC.

“He’s getting a lot of stick for his performance against ‘MVP.’ F*ck fighting ‘MVP.’ He’s a nightmare!” Loughran continued. “Until you have him in front of you, you haven’t sparred or trained with someone like him. Now, when you put him on his back, he’s crap. But it’s just getting him on his back is a nightmare.”

Having maintained his perfect UFC and professional record at the expense of “MVP” at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, Garry is now setting his sights on those above him in the welterweight pecking order.

In addition to offering to serve as backup fighter for this month’s UFC 304 main event between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad, the Dubliner has set his sights on Shavkat Rakhmonov as a potential next opponent.

Continue Reading Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’  at MMA News.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page Outlines When He’ll Know It’s Time To Retire From MMA

According to UFC welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page, any decision regarding his retirement will come in the gym, not the Octagon. While no doubt at the back end of his career, Page has only just begun plying his fighting trade on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, having swapped Bellator MMA for the UFC late last […]

Continue Reading Michael ‘Venom’ Page Outlines When He’ll Know It’s Time To Retire From MMA at MMA News.

According to UFC welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page, any decision regarding his retirement will come in the gym, not the Octagon.

While no doubt at the back end of his career, Page has only just begun plying his fighting trade on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, having swapped Bellator MMA for the UFC late last year after over a decade with the former.

In his debut at UFC 299 this past March, Page dealt a blow to those who have long questioned his ability to compete against ranked opposition in the UFC by getting the better of Kevin Holland.

Most recently, “MVP” had his quest for an all-English showdown with champion Leon Edwards paused by Ian Garry, who narrowly emerged victorious from their pay-per-view main card opener at UFC 303.

But given his pre-fight camp and performance on the night, it can be said that Page has plenty left in the tank months on from his 37th birthday.

Page Reveals What Will Force Retirement Call

During an interview with Demetrious Johnson prior to his second Octagon appearance at UFC 303, Page addressed the topic of Father Time that looms over fighters of his age.

The MMA community often urges some athletes who appear to continue beyond their physical means to hang up their gloves amid lengthy losing streaks, with Tony Ferguson serving as a current example.

The 37-year-old Page, however, insists he won’t reach that stage. Instead, he plans to call it quits as soon as his performance against the up-and-comers in his gym falls below the requirement.

“It gets us all, man. There’s one thing nobody can beat and it’s that time factor. But you can make adjustments,” Page said. “It’s intense in our gym all the time. But there are times I can tell where he’ll (my coach) just be — for me, he’ll be like, ‘You can chill today. You can finish a bit early.’ … He can see when I’m fatiguing a little bit too much.

“I always say to myself, if I’m getting dominated by the youngsters coming through and they’re all hungry — if I’m starting to get dominated by them in the gym, that’s my time to retire,” Page continued. “I don’t need to wait to get my arse handed to me out in public. If the guys in the gym are having me out, then that’s when I’ll be like, ‘Okay, I need to stop.’ That ain’t happening just yet.”

In addition to a strong camp, which showed no signs that his time competing at the top is up, Page’s defeat on June 29 was far from emphatic. UFC CEO Dana White demonstrated the competitive nature of the Londoner’s battle with Garry by suggesting the fight felt like a draw.

It remains to be seen what will come next for “MVP” after a setback in his planned ascent to gold on MMA’s biggest stage. But having come close to climbing toward title contention at UFC 303, Page has vowed to “rebuild” and keep his sights set on the goal.

Continue Reading Michael ‘Venom’ Page Outlines When He’ll Know It’s Time To Retire From MMA at MMA News.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page releases first statement since coming up short against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303

Michael 'Venom' Page releases first statement since coming up short against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303Michael ‘Venom’ Page released his first statement since coming up short against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303. After…

Michael 'Venom' Page releases first statement since coming up short against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303

Michael ‘Venom’ Page released his first statement since coming up short against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303.

After a successful promotional debut against Kevin Holland in March, ‘MVP’ failed to see his hand raised for a second straight time, surrendering a unanimous decision to ‘The Future’ after competing in a three-round scrap to kick off the main card inside T-Mobile Arena. It was just Page’s third career loss in more than a dozen years.

Ian Garry def. 'Venom' Page

Several days after the defeat, ‘Venom’ offered his reaction to the loss and hinted at his plan for the future.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Michael Page (@michaelvenompage)

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal,” Page wrote on Instagram.

Ian Machado Garry Snaps back at critics of his UD win over Michael ‘venom’ page

Though Garry moved to 15-0 in his mixed martial arts career, not everyone was convinced that the Irishman did enough to leave ‘Sin City’ with another win. Aside from a slew of commenters online disagreeing with the judges, UFC CEO Dana White suggested during his post-fight press conference appearance that, if anything, the fight was a draw.

Garry didn’t take kindly to the comments and responded to White’s reaction on The MMA Hour.

“You’re full of sh*t,” Garry said. “You need to go back and watch the fight. First round was mine. Here’s the thing: There is more of a case to say I won all three rounds than than there is to say it was a draw. That’s the way I look at it. First round, dominated. No one in the world is arguing that. Third round, it’s pretty obvious I won.”

Garry was willing to concede that ‘Venom’ likely won the second round, but was clearly not having the “draw” argument.

'Venom'
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Ian Garry Frustrated At Getting Another Decision At UFC 303: ‘I Need To Start Working On These Finishes’

UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry was disappointed not to finish a fight within the distance for the third straight time this past weekend. At Saturday’s UFC 303 pay-per-view, Garry was tasked with opening up the main card in what marked his second Octagon assignment of the year. After getting past Geoff Neal in February, the […]

Continue Reading Ian Garry Frustrated At Getting Another Decision At UFC 303: ‘I Need To Start Working On These Finishes’ at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry was disappointed not to finish a fight within the distance for the third straight time this past weekend.

At Saturday’s UFC 303 pay-per-view, Garry was tasked with opening up the main card in what marked his second Octagon assignment of the year. After getting past Geoff Neal in February, the undefeated Irishman was faced with a tougher striking test in Michael “Venom” Page.

In the lead-up, “The Future” expressed a distinct lack of interest in the fight and vowed to “run through” the Englishman with ease. While he ultimately had his hand raised at T-Mobile Arena, it was far from a walk in the park.

Garry secured victory on the scorecards, edging out a final round with his grappling to secure 29-28 verdicts from the three judges cageside.

For the Dubliner, he maintained his position close to the top of the division and kept the 0 on his record. But like many fans who were expecting more from the clash, Garry didn’t exit the cage without some frustration…

Garry ‘Irritated’ At Going The Distance With Page

During a backstage interview with Caroline Pearce for TNT Sports, Garry reflected on his performance and result opposite the tricky Page at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.

The former Cage Warriors champion admitted disappointment at his failure to finish “MVP” before the final horn, especially after both Neal and Neil Magny made it the 15-minute distance in his previous two bouts.

“I nearly had the heel hook as well. Look, that for me is just little details on locking up things,” Garry said. “I said to Demian (Maia), ‘Do you know what we need to do now? We need to go every possibility of finish and we need to lock in the minor details; hand position, head position, feet position. We just need to go over it all.’

“And it needs to be the same on the feet. I need to start working on these finishes because no one’s more irritated than me at having a third f**king decision in a row,” Garry continued. “Even though it’s against elite competition, it f*cks me off.”

Having started life on MMA’s biggest stage with three knockouts in his first five outings, Garry will no doubt be hoping to return to those finishing ways moving forward.

And now that he spends most of his time training over at Diego Lima’s Chute Box Academy in São Paulo alongside the likes of the UFC’s all-time most prolific submission artist Charles Oliveira, perhaps the Irishman’s next stoppage will come by way of a choke or hold.

Continue Reading Ian Garry Frustrated At Getting Another Decision At UFC 303: ‘I Need To Start Working On These Finishes’ at MMA News.