Michael Page won, and in violent, glorious fashion, doing exactly what was expected of him against Giovanni Melillo at Bellator London.
Giovanni Melillo accepted Saturday’s fight against Michael Page at Bellator London on short notice, and wasn’t expected to fare well against MVP. Any flash of success, therefore, could be seen as a win for the underdog. Page, of course, had won all but one of his MMA bouts to date, his only stumble coming against welterweight champ Douglas Lima in the 170lb grand prix earlier this year.
Page opened, as expected, with his hands low, switching stances, constantly light on his feet. Melillo worked to stay out of striking distance, but was looking gun-shy, and ‘Venom’ fired off a nasty-looking front kick that came up short. Melillo’s critical mistake came early in the first round. Melillo fired a leg kick and left himself wide open for the counter over the top. When it came, an overhand right, Melillo went crashing down, and Page walked away, no follow-up needed.
WOW!@Michaelpage247 with a huge right hand! #BellatorLondon pic.twitter.com/SF07Ub8X1m
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 23, 2019
With the walk-off knockout win, Michael ‘Venom’ Page improved to 16-1. A step up in competition will be required moving forward — perhaps a date with originally scheduled opponent Derek Anderson. Page, however, called for a rematch with Douglas Lima after the fight. Saying he had a lot of respect for Lima, Page adding “I’m going to take something back that he stole from me.”
Official Result: Michael Page def. Giovanni Melillo by knockout, Round 1, 1:47
