No stranger to the highlight reel, Michael "Venom" Page did what he does best on Friday by showcasing his unorthodox and dangerous style to produce another "video game" moment.
Page (19-1) won his fifth straight since his lone pro defeat against Douglas Lima in 2019 and he called out the current welterweight champion following a first-round TKO of Derek Anderson at Bellator 258 in their pivotal bout contested at a 175-pound catchweight.
After walking to the cage inside the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, without any music or fanfare, the 34-year-old Page was full of his typical histrionics by taunting Anderson (17-4, 1 NC) before leaping in with dangerous strikes.
Late in the first round, Page delivered the fight's most telling blow when he caught Anderson flush with a lead kick to the face that shattered his nose and bloodied Anderson's face. Page followed shortly after with a straight right hand which dropped him again.
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Anderson, 31, was told by the cage side doctor after the round that his night was over due to the obvious broken bones in his nose.
"I knew I would land it just not as effective," Page said. "As a lot of people know, I come in straight lines. I'm a sniper and I come down the middle. But I watched his angles and I landed it. I didn't know it was going to be that big but it was an amazing shot for me.
"He is a tough guy. I really do respect him. He will be back, 100 percent I know that. We will probably end up meeting again and it will be a different fight."
Page improved to 15-1 inside the Bellator cage since promotional debut in 2013 and could be next in line for the title following Lima's scheduled defense against Yaroslav Amosov on June 11.
"Everybody knows what I want. There is one redemption fight that I'm looking for," Page said. "[Lima] constantly has got excuses. I'm not even interesting in calling his name but we will meet and the same thing is going to happen."
Lima knocked Page out cold in the second round of their Bellator 221 bout in the semifinals of the Welterweight World Grand Prix tournament.
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May 08, 2021 at 11:05AM
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Bellator 258 results, highlights: Michael 'Venom' Page breaks Derek Anderson's nose for TKO victory - CBS Sports
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