MICHAEL ‘VENOM’ PAGE has an advantage over almost all of his opponents when it comes to striking.
But he’s insists he won’t have an additional one when he faces Sharabutdin Magomedov this weekend – despite his UFC Saudi Arabia opponent only having ONE EYE.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page returns to the octagon on Saturday night at UFC Saudi Arabia[/caption]
MVP faces undefeated middleweight Sharabutdin ‘Bullet’ Magomedov[/caption]
Magomedov only has one functioning eye after losing vision in his right optic organ[/caption]
MVP insists Magomedov’s visual impairment doesn’t put him at an advantage[/caption]
The pair collide in an eagerly-anticipated middleweight showdown in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 250 at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.
Magomedov has captivated MMA fans around the world with his incredible performances inside the cage, most of which have been turned in since he lost vision in his right eye.
Many believe the Dagestani’s visual impairment puts him at an incredible disadvantage, but not Page, who told SunSport: “I personally would say no [I’m not at an advantage].
“And the only reason I’m gonna say no is because this man’s 15-0.
“This guy hasn’t been getting hit with stuff.
“I know how amazing human beings can be with what we class as maybe a disability.
“But we’ve had guys with one arm before fight exceptionally [well].
“We’ve got guys with one leg. If we put our mind to anything, we can do anything we want.
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Shara Bullet started losing vision in his right eye early in his career[/caption]
The 30-year-old had eight surgeries on his eye but eventually lost vision in it[/caption]
“There’s no such thing as a real disadvantage because our body; we just adapt.
“The fact that he hasn’t been caught means that one eye is good enough.
“So I don’t, I don’t see that as an advantage, but I do see me just being me as an advantage.
“So I just need to go in there and make sure I’m the best me on that day.
“And as talented as he is, he’s he’s not gonna overcome this.”
The undefeated Magomedov is somewhat of the black sheep of Dagestani fighters, with his striking being his most dominant skillset.
Page is a fan of the 30-year-old kickboxer’s handiwork, saying: “He’s got unique angles because he likes to throw from different body positions.
“Like whipping his hooks over after his kicks, quite rapidly as well.
“And you can tell he’s got heavy hands. So there’s a lot about him [I like] and he’s willing to try stuff.
“The double back fist, [he was] willing to try it. It was an exceptional, KO.
I know how amazing human beings can be with what we class as maybe a disability
Michael ‘Venom’ Page on Shara Bullet
“But you have to be willing to put yourself in unfamiliar territory, which shows his bravery and shows how confident he is in his abilities.”
Saturday’s Saudi showdown with Magomedov will mark Page’s first-ever foray to middleweight.
The move up to 185lbs and the potential interesting match-ups in the stacked division, however, aren’t distracting Page from his primary goal.
The 37-year-old said: “If there are good fights to be had at middleweight, I’ll take them. But my goal is the welterweight belt.
“Middleweight doesn’t really do anything for me unless it’s an exciting fight.
“So if it’s a good fight, [the] UFC likes it, I like it and fans like it, I’ll do it.
“But the goal is to still progress and go and get that title at welterweight.”
Shara Magomedov scored an incredible walk-off KO over Armen Petrosyan last year[/caption]
Michael ‘Venom’ Page is relishing the opportunity to become the first man to beat the new fan favourite[/caption]
A spectacular win over new favourite Magomedov, however, will well and truly put Page in the mix at 185lbs.
“I feel like I’m definitely coming to make him walk the plank,” Page said of ‘The Pirate’. “[And] make him suffer the first defeat of his career.
“But in a way that I don’t think he ever would have seen it coming before.
“Becuase like I said, he’s gonna be very confident in his striking ability.
“But he’s not gonna understand what I bring to the table.
“He’s not gonna understand my angles, my speed, my precision in my punches and my kicks – he’s not gonna understand it.
“And gonna be stubborn about changing tactics and that’s when you’re gonna see him fall.”
