The debut of Michael “Venom” Page went about as good as it could’ve, dominating Kevin Holland with his unorthodox style.
Michael “Venom” Page, simply known as MVP, makes his first walk to the UFC Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 299. MVP has been a mainstay over in Bellator, with 19 fights over 10 years in the promotion. After a brief stint in Bare Knuckle Boxing where he took on Mike Perry, he returned to Bellator and later became a free agent. MVP’s free agency was a big headline in MMA, with many wondering if he would finally sign with the UFC. That would end up being the case, after a leak showed that the UFC was planning to match him up against Kevin Holland in his debut. Although it took some time, the news was announced along with the fight, which seems like the perfect first fight for MVP.
Kevin Holland is the kind of fighter that never says no to a challenge. His 20 fight UFC career has had many ups and downs, but that’s what comes with taking on the best of the best. He holds 12 wins in those 20 fights and is constantly giving the fans some serious entertainment. Nine of his UFC wins come by finish with a mix of grappling and striking displayed throughout his fights. Coming off a split decision loss to Jack Della Maddalena, Holland looks to spoil the hyped debut of MVP.
Fight Recap
Page came out firing on all cylinders in Round One, taking the fight ti Holland and catching him with looping punches repeatedly. His accuracy was incredible to watch throughout the round as he landed nearly everything he threw. Holland seemed to be flustered by his awkward style early.
Round Two started off similar to the first, with Page picking his shots and landing well at distance. A slip from MVP gave Holland the opportunity to grab a takedown, which he took full advantage of. After initially locking up a rear-naked choke, Holland let go and started raining down bombs from the top. Another submission attempt allowed MVP to break free and get back to his feet, where he continued where he left off in the striking until the end of the round. Holland’s chin held up great despite being hit with some massive bombs.
The third round featured an amazing display for MVP, as he had Holland completely lost on the feet. Page was landing at will from a distance and executing his style to perfection. Holland had limited success with his grappling and got cracked coming in multiple times.
The scorecards read 29-28 across the board to give MVP and impressive win in his UFC debut.
UFC Fighters React to MVP’s Impressive Debut
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
