Page signs with UFC, added to UFC 299 vs. Holland
Michael "Venom" Page is officially headed to the Octagon, and he has an intriguing matchup set for his debut.
The longtime Bellator welterweight contender has signed a contract with the UFC, promotion CEO Dana White announced Saturday. Page will make his debut against the No. 12-ranked Kevin Holland at UFC 299 on March 9 in Miami.
Page became a free agent in July after spending nine years under the Bellator banner. White confirmed in October that the promotion was in talks with "MVP."
Page previously said he was "flirting" with the UFC, but there were "still a few hurdles" he had to "jump over" before a deal could be reached. He said he had no interest in returning to Bellator because he viewed it as a step down. Bellator has since been purchased by the PFL.
The 36-year-old Brit was one of Bellator's most popular fighters, going 16-2 in 18 bouts and beating the likes of former champion Douglas Lima and Paul Daley. However, he never challenged for the undisputed 170-pound title. Page did fight for the interim belt, although he lost to Logan Storley in 2022.
Known for his unorthodox striking skill set, Page dipped his toes into bare-knuckle boxing last year, falling short in a BKFC fight against former UFC welterweight Mike Perry. Page is coming off a 26-second TKO win over Goiti Yamauchi in March.
Page joins a UFC welterweight division with Leon Edwards on the throne and Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Shavkat Rakhmonov making up the top five.
Holland, who cracked the top 15 at welterweight earlier this year, is a popular fighter whose ceiling is quite high. "Trailblazer" is 2-1 in his last three Octagon appearances with stoppage wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Michael Chiesa and a recent split-decision defeat to Jack Della Maddalena.
In the UFC 299 main event, Sean O'Malley defends the bantamweight title against Marlon Vera.