MMA News: Paul Daley remains unimpressed with Michael 'Venom' Page, calls him out for a rematch
Michael 'Venom' Page may have stunned the crowd by finishing Gianni Melillo with a highlight reel walk-off KO at Bellator London and called out Douglas Lima to avenge the only loss in his career, many aren't impressed with the quality of the opponents MVP has faced over the years and MVP's former opponent Paul Daley is one of them. (h/t MMA Fighting)
Daley blasts MVP for fighting weaker opponents
Bellator fighter Paul Daley was present at the event as an analyst and he was openly sceptical about the level of opponents Page has faced throughout his career. Speaking to MMAJunkie, he said that wins like this mean nothing as MVP has always been booked against easy opponents with the exception of himself and Douglas Lima.
“This is ridiculous. You can’t continually beat these kind of opponents. Yes, he knocks them out, but he’s expected to knock them out. What does this prove, the fact that he knocked out a guy nobody will remember? It proves nothing. It proves nothing at all. Why didn’t he do that to me? Why didn’t he do that to Douglas Lima? Because he’s not of that caliber."
Daley further stated that he wants Page to prove his mettle against world-class fighters as he has always flopped when facing tough opponents.
“I need to see more from Michael Page, in my opinion, whether it’s a rematch with me or a rematch with another top-tier fighter. Does a win over this guy warrant a title shot? In my opinion it doesn’t. Yes, he’s a star. Yes, people love him. But can he really fight? The two times he’s stepped up, on paper, he’s got a ‘victory’ over me. Most people, including me, thought he lost that fight. Second time he stepped up against the champion, who I went three rounds with, he gets knocked out cold. So he needs to fight solid opponents instead of feeding him these guys.”
Daley wants another crack at MVP
Daley will be more than willing to put Page to the test for the right amount of money.
“If they give me the contract, and it’s the right contract (for Page), we don’t need the hype, we don’t need nothing,” Daley said. “Let’s just fight. I know I’m better than him. I know I won the first time, and I can do it again. Do I hate the guy? All animosity? No. I just want to prove I’m better and that he’s not of the caliber that everybody thinks he his.”