Michael “Venom” Page has something to say following his first UFC setback.
The former Bellator star lost some of the momentum he had going for him last weekend, facing off against the undefeated Ian Machado Garry on the main card of UFC 303. Page, 37, had dominated Kevin Holland with his slick striking in his UFC debut back in March and was having his way with Garry on the feet, but was beaten for the most part when it came to the grappling.
Following two rounds of closely contested action, Machado Garry would rack up enough control time in the final round to sway the judges for a unanimous decision victory.
Not everybody agreed with the result, with many fans scoring the fight for Page in the end. But, “MVP” isn’t one to complain, with the welterweight fighter accepting the loss at UFC 303 for what it was.
“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 on Thursday.
Prior to Garry, Page (22-3) had only lost to the top of the heap in Bellator’s welterweight division – suffering a split decision loss to former interim champ Logan Storley and a KO loss to Douglas Lima in 2019 (which he avenged in a rematch two years later).
MVP had hoped to fight former champ Kamaru Usman for title contention with a win over Garry, but it looks like the #13 contender has more work to do before he gets another chance at a top contender.
‘Corner McGregor’ Ian Garry Blasted by Colby Covington for MVP Fight at UFC 303
Now undefeated at 15-0, Ian Machado Garry looks onwards and upwards after defending his top spot in the rankings against Page. En route to a title shot, Ireland’s Garry eyes a fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov if other contenders “run scared”.
“I don’t think Usman wants to fight me,” Garry said at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I don’t think Usman wants to come out here and fight someone who’s that fast. I think he’d much rather have an easier stylistic matchup, he’s been talking about fighting Wonderboy… Would I love to get my hands on Usman? Absolutely. Would I love to get my hands on Colby Covington? Absolutely. I think they will not accept it because they will run scared because again, a younger up and coming fighter, the future of the division, when you lose to him, you’re on the end of your career. That’s it.
“You’ve got people like Shavkat, that fight excites me so much,” Garry continued. “Shavkat’s incredibly talented. I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy. I’ve trained with him. I’ve shared the ring with him – it’s purely out of [respect], I don’t want anyone else to beat him before me.”
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