Michael ‘Venom’ Page produced another entry for his ever-expanding highlights reel with a lightning face kick which destroyed the nose of rival Derek Anderson in their contest at Bellator 258.
Page – famed for some spectacular finishes down the years – was at his explosive best again as he landed a kick flush on his opponent’s face towards the end of the first round of their 175lbs catchweight contest at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The rapid blow dropped Anderson and although the gutsy American bounced back to his feet, he was put down again by a right hand from Page soon afterwards.
The game Anderson survived to see out the round but unsurprisingly given the state of his gnarled nose, the contest was called off at the interval.
“He’s going to be breathing out of his mouth for a while,” joked fighter-turned-pundit RJ Clifford after the moment of Page’s brutal face kick was captured in all its glory by the cameras and cageside photographers.
British star Page improved to 19-1 with the win, and after the bout paid kudos to his opponent’s durability as he became the first man to stop Anderson with strikes in the American’s 21-fight career.
“I knew I’d land [the kick]. I come in straight lines – I’m a sniper,” said Page.
“I come down the middle. I wanted to see if he’d keep going to the same side, so I knew I’d land it.
“He’s a tough guy. I really respect that. I’m used to tough guys. Tough guys are only good when they can hit their target. Strength means everything with you can land it, but nothing when you can’t.”
Page, 34, immediately set his sights on a rematch with Douglas Lima – the only man to beat him in 20 professional MMA contests.
“Everybody knows who I want. There’s one redemption fight I’m looking for,” Page said of the welterweight champion.
“He’s constantly got excuses. I’m not interested in calling his name, but everyone knows who he is. We will meet, and the same stuff is going to happen.”
Elsewhere at Bellator 258, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson survived a first-round onslaught to advance to the light-heavyweight semi-finals by knocking out short-notice opponent Jose Augusto in the second round of their fight.
Former UFC star Johnson, who came out of a four-year retirement to make his Bellator debut, will face Russian reigning champion Vadim Nemkov in his next outing.
In the main event, Sergio Pettis – younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis – won the Bellator bantamweight crown as he defeated Juan Archuleta by unanimous decision.
“I feel like I was on my way to becoming a champ in the UFC as well. I just didn’t have the time or the star power that they wanted me to have,” Pettis said as he reflected on his switch to Bellator in 2019.
"I’m really the opposite of that, to be honest. It’s awesome that Bellator allows me to be myself and puts no pressure on me. I’m able to have these great performances and truly believe in myself.”