- Michael 'Venom' Page scored a knockout of the year contender when he finished his opponent with a flying knee to the face.
- Page then celebrated his victory by mocking Richard Kiely. He pretended to stagger around the cage on drunk legs, then stood over his concussed opponent, pointed, and made inaudible comments.
- The incident attracted boos from the Dublin crowd but Page won them over by telling them his new nickname was Michael 'Irish' Page.
- Watch the knockout right here.
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DUBLIN — Michael 'Venom' Page knocked Richard Kiely out in the opening round with a flying knee to the face. He then celebrated by mocking his opponent.
Page, the travelling Londoner taking on the local fan favorite Kiely, has long been known for his flashy fighting style, his unpredictable celebrations, and for the way he has integrated pro wrestling antics into his repertoire.
At the 3Arena in Dublin on Friday, he put all of those skills together, to stun Kiely, attract boos from the crowd, before getting the Irish back on his side.
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Using his counter-attacking nous after just two mintues, Page launched his knee into Kiely's face. Kiely lost his balance immediately, falling to the canvas, where the referee was quick to wave the fight off.
Rather than celebrate, Page pretended he was hurt. He staggered around the periphery of the cage as if he were standing on drunken legs, then stood over his concussed opponent, pointed, and made inaudible comments.
Watch the fight-ending move right here:
JUMPING KNEE FINISH!
— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) September 27, 2019
Michael "Venom" Page stops rival Richard Kiely in the very first round. An incredible win for MVP.
Watch #BellatorDublin LIVE on Channel 5 🇬🇧 and Virgin Media 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/mmtctkloxS
Page's theatrics attracted a negative reaction from the crowd, but he got them back on his side by telling them he wanted to be an honorary Irishman.
"Dublin!" Page screamed on the microphone. "You guys are amazing. They know me as MVP, but when I'm here I'm MIP — Michael 'Irish' Page."
He then said he "hadn't even trained" to fight Kiely as he was too busy buying properties and going on holiday.
Page finished by saying he wanted to avenge the sole loss on his professional mixed martial arts record, challenging Douglas Lima to a rematch.
"Douglas Lima, I got so much respect for you … but I'm coming back."
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