"He's nervous" - Michael 'Venom' Page discusses why he thinks Kevin Holland lacked confidence leading up to their fightÂ
Michael 'Venom' Page, better known as 'MVP,' made his UFC debut at UFC 299 in Miami, Florida. In his first fight under the premier mixed martial arts promotion, he took on Kevin Holland, an experienced veteran of the game.
Page showed that he belonged at the top of the division with his performance over Holland, outpointing him over three rounds. Holland had no answer for Page's unique style and despite having some brief success when he took the fight to the mat, he ultimately looked outclassed on the feet.
Following the bout, Michael Page joined Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, and dissected the bout with Kevin Holland. Heading into the bout, 'Trailblazer' was dismissive of Page's abilities, citing the level of competition he faced in Bellator as being a key differentiator between the two fighters.
Helwani asked Page what he made of Holland's comments, to which 'MVP' replied:
"To be fair, I'm a very observant person, I don't pay too much attention to what people are saying. I notice his persona, his behavioral patterns, and a lot of what he said which probably led to him saying or making these comments was he is nervous. He wasn't very confident in himself."
Check out Michael Page's comments here (6:10):
Michael 'Venom' Page says he has "a lot more work to do"
Michael 'Venom' Page's UFC debut lived up to expectations and then some. From his Undertaker-themed walkout, which generated a response from the WWE legend, to his dominant performance over Kevin Holland, 'MVP' truly announced himself on the biggest stage mixed martial arts has to offer.
When speaking to Joe Rogan in his post-fight octagon interview, he was asked what he thought would be next for him in the UFC's welterweight division. Page replied, saying:
"I've got a little more work to do. A lot more work to do. But, this is where I'm supposed to be. Anybody that doubted that I was supposed to be here, you can see for yourself, and I just want to say, thank you Miami for having me. You guys are amazing, you guys are so passionate, you guys put so much energy into cheering, it really does make a difference. Thank you so much!"
Check out Michael 'Venom' Page's post-fight octagon interview here: