MVP to the UFC? Maybe it’s time to pump the brakes, as Michael “Venom” Page turned up on Friday’s PFL Europe 4 broadcast opposite Cedric Doumbe.
Page (21-2), a former kickboxer and longtime Bellator MMA welterweight, is one of the hottest free agents on the market recently. For the past couple of weeks, the flashy striker has been linked to a possible UFC deal, admitting that he had been “flirting” with the company, though adding that no deal was done.
MVP’s name also turned up in the UFC’s “war room” penciled in for a fight against Kevin Holland at UFC 297. But on Friday, Page was called out by Cedric Doumbe, one of France’s biggest stars and a current PFL athlete, at PFL Europe 4 in Dublin, Ireland. It just so happened that Page was in the building at the 3Arena, and entered the cage for a quick, friendly face-off.
Who wants to see @CedricDoumbe 🆚 @Michaelpage247? 🤩#PFLDublin | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/M7nAqxmCnQ
— DAZN MMA (@daznmma) December 8, 2023
The PFL broadcast on DAZN plastered “Michael ‘Venom’ Page vs. Cedric Doumbe — Fight in the making” on screen during the face-off, suggesting this was at least somewhat pre-planned.
As is well known by now, the Professional Fighters League purchased Bellator MMA, Page’s former home, just weeks ago. Page became a free agent earlier this year, finishing up his current deal with a leg kick TKO finish of Goiti Yamauchi.
Page holds notable wins over Derek Anderson, Douglas Lima, Paul Daley, and Yamauchi. He came up short in a bid for interim gold against Logan Storley last year.
Cedric Doumbe is a perfect 5-0 in his MMA career thus far, and made his promotional debut for the Professional Fighters League at PFL Europe 3 this past September. He had been linked to a deal with the UFC, scheduled to compete at UFC Paris in 2022 before the local athletic commission pulled him from the fight, citing his lack of MMA experience. A combination of that and health issues saw the UFC deal fall through, leading to the PFL picking Doumbe up.
