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Michael 'Venom' Page is set to make his promotional debut at UFC 299, where he takes on action fighter extraordinaire Kevin Holland. Given 'Traiblazer's' love of the striking game and penchant for avoiding wrestling sequences, it is a tailor-made matchup for Page to find success in.
Holland is a well-known name among the casual fanbase due to his entertaining fighting style and humorous personality. Furthermore, he is close enough to the top 10 that a win over him would catapult 'MVP' into a strong position, especially with the popularity he'd gain with a dominant performance.
If he does manage to get past Holland, then the UFC ought to consider booking him in a matchup with the only man to match his striking acumen and credentials at welterweight: Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
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It would be a winnable fight for Michael 'Venom' Page
Michael 'Venom' Page excels against those who stand and strike with him. That isn't to say that he is invincible against standup fighters, but the type of striker he struggles against is not the kind of striker Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson styles himself as.
Undefeated in the past, 'MVP's' only loss to another striker was against Douglas Lima, whose low kicks would have always presented a problem for him. The Englishman fights with a wide, bladed stance, bouncing back and forth on his toes with his hands low at waist level.
As Page bounces in and out of range, he taunts his opponents while using a deep bag of feints. Due to the width of his stance, he is vulnerable to low kicks, which led to his knockout loss to Lima. However, 'Wonderboy' is not a low-kicker and actually uses a style similar to Page's.
A key difference is that Thompson doesn't rely on taunts as much and is often on the lookout for openings for his sidekicks and straight left. His purpose is to maintain a long distance and snipe his foe at a distance to frustrate them into lunging forward, at which point Thompson intercepts them with a straight left.
He is a specialist in creating collisions by using his opponent's momentum against them as they run face-first into his left hand. This is a winnable scenario for 'MVP,' who does not lunge into anything and looks for his own openings, only he has more variety.
Few will forget the flying knee that caved in Evangelista Cyborg's skull, for example. It is the kind of finish that could lend to an entertaining and flashy contest between him and 'Wonderboy,' much like Israel Adesanya's win over Anderson Silva, which saw a clash of masterful strikers.
Check out Michael 'Venom' Page knocking out Evangelista Santos:
Furthermore, 'MVP's' penchant for countering sidekicks with a back-leg sweep could produce the kind of highlights only seen in martial arts flicks. Also, given Thompson's age of 41 compared to Page's of 36, the Englishman will undoubtedly be the faster of the two and able to catch him with sniping shots.
Page has also sustained far less damage than 'Wonderboy,' who has been in countless wars. If anyone will get knocked out in such a fight, it will likely be Thompson, who will not at all wrestle his foe.
A win over Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson could turn Michael 'Venom' Page into something of a star
If the UFC keeps Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson away from Colby Covington and instead books 'Chaos' to face Ian Garry as they should, it would preserve the two-time welterweight title challenger's #8 ranking in the division. Thus, he will be a prime opponent with which to build Michael 'Venom' Page.
'MVP' will not get any better than he already is, certainly not more well-rounded. He is 36 years old and closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Furthermore, he is not a future champion, barring exceptional circumstances. However, he can be manufactured into an entertaining action fighter.
To do so, he must be given a path against top-level fighters who are not strong wrestlers. He cannot be matched up against the likes of Sean Brady or any of that sort. His future opponents ought to be Garry, another striker, with whom he could headline a London-based Fight Night card.
Check out the Michael 'Venom' Page promo for UFC 299:
Similarly, he could face the undefeated Jack Della Maddalena in the future if the Australian remains unbeaten and climbs the rankings. Even Gilbert Burns, who is not a wrestler but a heavy-handed Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with a so-so chin who is easy to pick apart at a distance, would be winnable.
If the UFC does for 'MVP' as they did for Sean O'Malley, he could climb the rankings by having fun fights against tailor-made opponents to increase his name value. While he will never become a champion, building him up to the status of a potential title contender is enough of an investment.
A strong point of criticism the UFC has faced as of late is that it puts no effort in some of its Fight Night cards. This could all change if 'MVP' mounts a respectable win streak over welterweight strikers that ends with a competitive loss in a title fight. He could be used to headline Fight Night cards.
Not every fighter the UFC signs has to be the next big pay-per-view headliner. In pro-wrestling terms, 'MVP' would be an upper-mid card act, someone whose name value and entertaining fighting style could turn him into a Fight Night headliner and pay-per-view co-headliner or just someone to bolster a main card in need of it.
