UFC fighter Michael Page is sure he will deliver another outstanding performance by knocking out Shara Magomedov.
“Venom” is known for dealing with his opponents and taking them out with knockouts, but the fighter has had his own fair share of defeat as he suffered a loss to Ian Machado Garry.
“Loss is part of the game, you can’t have one without the other,” Page tells The Independent.“Sometimes, when people come straight into MMA and do really well, they may struggle to handle [defeat], whereas I’ve come from a sport in which the first eight or nine years was me not doing well.” It is a self-deprecating take on Page’s stellar kickboxing career, which saw him enter adult competitions by age 13 and ultimately win 10 world titles.
“My style comes across like I’m naturally talented, but I’ve got multiple siblings who all did exceptionally well [at sport], and I was the one who never used to come back with any medals – and had to do it again the following weekend. I stuck at it because I enjoyed the environment, but it did mean I learned something.
“And for me, the other person doesn’t actually matter; I always take the focus back to me: my performance, what I can control, what I could’ve done better. That goes whether I’ve won or lost. And even if I didn’t lose a fight, there’s gonna be challenges in life that I’m gonna lose at every single day.”
The fight will be Page’s first outside his hometown, but he plans to beat his opponent with a violent stoppage. Page is sure of his victory and said fans will witness his 15th career knockout at UFC Saudi Arabia.
“Honestly speaking, I believe he’s tailor-made for me to get that (knockout) shot early,” he said in an interview with The Independent. “By early, I just mean before the time is up. But he’s equally dangerous, to where if I make those mistakes, that could happen to me. You have to consider both sides. I just really believe in what I can do, and that my style fits perfectly against him.”
Whichever way the fight goes, many MMA enthusiasts expect the result to come through a stoppage. While Page’s exploits are well known, Magomedov is far from a slouch in the KO department. The undefeated fighter has been at the top of the game, and 12 of the Russian’s 15 professional wins have come via knockout, including two in the UFC.
