Michael ‘Venom’ Page sees Shara Magomedov as ‘tailor-made’ opponent for showcase UFC KO
Michael ‘Venom’ Page sees Shara Magomedov as ‘tailor-made’ opponent for showcase UFC KO
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Interview: The London welterweight ventures up to 185lb in Riyadh, taking on the unbeaten ‘Bullet’. Michael “Venom” Page’s opponents know the stomach-churning feeling all too well: of having a brash foe before them, doing exactly what he promised. In many cases, it involves a knockout. In his last fight, however, it was Page who had to deal with defeat by an outspoken rival, as he was beaten by Ian Machado Garry. It was not Page’s first loss, nor his worst, but given Machado Garry is as divisive as “MVP” once was, it could have been a painful one.
![[Michael ‘Venom’ Page (left) won most of the striking exchanges against Ian Machado Garry]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/30/06/GettyImages-2159881222.jpg)
Yet Page has a healthier relationship with defeat than one would expect. And it’s a relationship that dates back further than fans may think, too. There was the brutal knockout by Diego Lima in 2019, yes, but that did not humble the Londoner, because – despite popular opinion at the time – he didn’t need humbling.
![[Machado Garry’s grappling secured him the win over Page in June]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/27/11/14/GettyImages-2159990292.jpeg)
“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.
![[Page is 1-1 in the UFC, having outpointed Kevin Holland in his promotional debut]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/03/10/06/SEI195345884.jpg)
“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.
