The newest signing in the UFC is also the biggest seen in some time.
Michael “Venom” Page — MVP — signed a new deal with the promotion to come over from Bellator MMA and he still can’t fully comprehend it.
“I feel like it hasn’t 100 percent sunk in,” Page told The Post in an interview just four days after the UFC announced the major signing. “But I’m still feeling good talking to friends who understand the magnitude; it’s exciting.”
He’s slated to make his debut in March at UFC 299 in Miami, opposite Kung-Fu black belt Kevin Holland. Oddsmakers have installed Page as a slight betting underdog in the contest at +120.
He’s already thinking about a colossal debut on the Miami card.
“The story goes Kevin Holland, super knockout, opening everyone’s eyes to the boogeyman that I am. The MVP, the horror movie that people have seen. It legitimizes it,” Page told The Post.
“After that, I want top-five [opponent] straight after that. Same scary thing happens, go in there do some crazy knockout or crazy performance, showcasing what I’ve been showcasing my whole career. In-style.
“And then I see myself — hopefully Leon Edwards still has the belt — I’ve already envisioned me and him in the UK filling out a stadium. Not just an arena, a stadium,” Page said, speaking on the dream of moving on from the 02 Arena in England and grabbing a major stadium to put on a mega-show.
“Because the magnitude of that fight and its great for all parties regardless of result. It puts the UK on the map, much respect to Tom Aspinall of the UFC as well… Past that point, the world is mine.”
Page is known as one of the best kickboxers in MMA; he even had a wild bare-knuckle boxing match with Mike Perry where he went the distance in a close decision loss.
His went 19-2 in his Bellator career, which included a flying knee to the face that fractured the skull of Evangelista Santos, forcing his retirement from MMA.
If it can possibly get better, he intends to do so.
“I’ve been telling people you’re going to see a different MVP. Way more fierce, way more fast, way more explosive, and even better celebrations,” Page said.
When it comes to his potential future opponents and now fellow UFC stars, Page already has plenty of word associations.
Holland, his first opponent, conjured up “big mouth,” while welterweight Ian Garry made him think “bad guy.” American Stephen Thompson is a “good guy,” while outspoken Colby Covington is “disrespectful.”
Belal Muhammad makes Page think “troll,” and longtime fighter Francis Ngannou is “unbelievable.” Boxer Jake Paul is simply “YouTuber,” with Conor McGregor being “superstar.”
Page had more to say on a few names, but Covington, in particular, caught his attention. Covington infamously made remarks about his opponent, Leon Edwards and his father, who was murdered years prior and had a history of life in crime.
“He’s got a lot of excuses because it was just a poor performance,” Page said. “He can shout to the hills, but I find he’s a bit delusional. This is the same man that also put his hands up after the fight as if he won. You can’t really go by what he says, I do get ring rust, but you have to be out for a real long period of time due to injuries and stuff.
“McGregor potentially might not have been doing any work at all. Focusing on family and businesses, he’s been developing. That’s true ring rust training if he’s actually been away, away from training. Colby, I’m sure he’s been training regardless; we all have cages and sparring in our gyms. I just think he was terrible that night.”
A fight with Covington could be in his future if he does, in fact, beat Holland.
Covington, currently ranked No. 5, is unlikely to ever receive a fourth title shot after losing three times and could be relegated to gate-keeper status for a rising star like Shavkat Rakhmonov, or Sean Brady — and now Page.