MICHAEL ‘VENOM’ PAGE has an incredible 20 days lined up fighting in two sports, on two giant shots alongside two combat heros.
On May 5 the karate master could have his second professional boxing bout on the undercard of promoter David Haye’s heavyweight grudge rematch with Tony Bellew.
And on May 25 he will be on the main card of the Bellator 200 show at Wembley Arena, supporting Mirco Cro Cop, one of the most feared legends to fight in MMA.
Despite competing in two forms of prize fighting, the Londoner seems disinterested in big-money bouts and chasing titles.
Battering rivals senseless in the most unique style in MMA today is top of his agenda and learning from some of the best in the business is a huge bonus.
Page told SunSport: “I found out about Cro Cop at the same time as anyone else, there was no insider info. It’s an insane card.
“When it was announced it was a shock to me, he is old school, he has been around but is still relevant and beat King Mo recently and King Mo is amazing.
“Cro Cop is so big, when I started watching MMA he was one of the names that you always came across because of all of his finishes. I would never expected to have been on the same show as him.”
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Truth be told, Page could fight on any show he wants but his commitment to self-improvement over cash-stacking has earned him dozens of kickboxing titles but just 12 MMA bouts.
And now there is a commitment to boxing where former heavyweight champion Haye has taken him under his wing and doubters of the sweet science have been forced to accept the new face of fighting.
Page said: “Having someone with David’s experience is inspirational, what he has done and what he is still doing.
“It’s more about motivation, we train alongside each other more than him teaching me.
“Having him in boxing, for so long and at the top level, telling me he likes what I am doing, that helps massively.
“A lot of the old school boxers I came across – especially when I was first coming up – they were all and only about boxing and everything outside of that was not good enough.
“That was the old-school mentality but the younger boxing coaches that are coming through understand combat as a whole and appreciate different arts.
“I am working with younger-minded coaches and they understand and appreciate my style and what I have done and my art.
“You always get resistance in certain gyms but that is just the way it is with certain individuals. As a whole I have had a lot of positive response from the boxing community.”
A quick YouTube search of Page returns hundreds of highlight reels but his hands-down style and in-ring risk taking has spawned a generation of wannabes who try his style without his substance.
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Like Prince Naseem and Anderson Silva before him, Page drops his hands as often as he drops of opponents but he warns impersonators of the perils of ripping him off.
Page said: “I would never tell people to not experiment or express themselves but some people try to put it on and that is when you get caught out.
“If you are not accustomed to doing it then don’t do it, don’t try to be someone else.
“For me it is a style I have been doing this style for years, there is a hands-down kickboxing style that I have always done.
“I am being true to myself and my style, people might appreciate that want to copy that but if it’s not something they should try to copy.”
Venom’s boxing debut was at light-heavyweight and his Bellator 200 fight is at welterweight against veteran American battler David Rickels.
He is fighting across multiple sports, promotions and weights at a time when combat sport is booming.
Yet there are no garish marketing deals and minimal trash-talk as he sits in wait of the belts and money his freakish talent deserves.
He said: “My style will eventually get me money and titles but I am very clear when it comes to fighting.
“I see things in movies and like the challenge of making it work in a fight. You will crazy kicks and crazy stuffs – I just like to push the boundaries.
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“I like to do the things that people cannot understand or even visualise.
“I just want to beat up as many people as possible and then do it in my style.
“Belts come and go there are guys that have belts who I have never heard of – they are not the be-all-and-end-all.
“If you really want your name to last now you have to do something different and memorable.
“Belts will come, I don’t focus on them. I just want to be the most dangerous fighter I can be.”
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