Six in a row: Recap Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s stellar run to a title shot at Bellator 281

Michael “Venom” Page will fight for championship gold when he takes on Logan Storley at Bellator 281 in London on Friday.

“MVP” will look to continue the winning streak that has seen him defeat six fighters in a row since his lone career loss to Douglas at Bellator 221 back in May 2019.

Since then, Page has been in stellar form as he has reeled off half a dozen wins, including a victory over Lima to avenge that earlier loss, to place himself in line for a shot at championship glory.

Ahead of his bout with Storley this weekend, here’s a look at the fights that have propelled “MVP” into championship contention.

Richard Kiely, Bellator Europe 4, Dublin

With Page facing off against Ireland’s Richard Kiely in Dublin, you could be forgiven for thinking the Brit would be the recipient of a torrent of boos from the Irish fans. But, in true “MVP” style, he produced another highlight-reel finish to have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

Page was deducted a point by referee Dan Miragliotta for “taking a selfie” mid-fight, but that didn’t stop him from unleashing a stunning flying knee to deliver another memorable moment for the Bellator fans on his side of the pond.

Gianni Melillo, Bellator Europe 6, London

After the victory over Kiely, Page was matched with Derek Anderson. But, after the American was forced off the card, Italian Gianni Melillo stepped in to face “MVP”.

Once again, Page was expected to deliver something spectacular, and he did just that, with a thumping right hand closing the show and giving him the 16th win of his career.

Shinsho Anzai, Bellator 237, Saitama

Just one month later, Page accepted the call to fly across the world to compete in the iconic Saitama Super Arena at Bellator 237. His opponent, Shinsho Anzai, was a former Pancrase middleweight champion, but he was horribly outmatched against the slick striker from London.

Anzai repeatedly barrelled forward looking to land punches, but was picked off by Page’s sharp counters and superbly-timed jumping knees. The Japanese fighter gamely pressed on, but was eventually finished with a perfectly-timed counter punch that earned “MVP” a memorable win – and a whole load of new fans – in Japan.

Ross Houston, Bellator 248, Paris

Against former Cage Warriors welterweight champion Ross Houston, Page found himself up against a fighter with the toughness to take everything “MVP” could dish out.

It perhaps wasn’t Page’s most vintage performance, but he still did more than enough to claim the unanimous decision at Bellator’s historic first event in Paris, France.

Derek Anderson, Bellator 258, Uncasville

With Page homing in on a rematch with his nemesis Douglas Lima, the Brit returned to U.S. soil to face Derek Anderson. The American was forced to withdraw from their originally-booked bout almost two years earlier, but this time the matchup came to fruition, and Anderson’s nose probably wishes it hadn’t.

Page lit up Anderson with slick strikes and, with the first round counting down, connected flush with a huge kick to the face that left Anderson with a badly broken nose.

Anderson got to the end of the round, but it took only a very brief inspection from the cageside doctor to prompt the fight to be stopped between rounds as “MVP” picked up the win at Mohegan Sun, then called for his long-awaited rematch with Lima.

Douglas Lima, Bellator 267, London

Page avenged his lone career defeat after a tight, tense encounter with Douglas Lima at Wembley Arena.

The event was the first big U.K. MMA show after the COVID lockdown, and the atmosphere for Page’s walkout was simply electric.

Page’s in-cage smarts and a slightly more conservative approach ensured he stayed out of danger enough to earn a split-decision to put himself at the front of the queue for the Bellator welterweight title.

That opportunity comes this Friday, May 13, when Page faces fellow top contender Logan Storley for the vacant interim welterweight title at Bellator 281 in London.

Page returns to the arena for the fourth time as a Bellator fighter, and he’ll be looking to extend his perfect record at the iconic venue by defeating Storley and becoming only the second British fighter (after former light heavyweight champ Liam McGeary) to capture Bellator MMA championship gold.

Recap MVP’s magic moments from his current winning streak via the video below.