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Page Seeking Flashy Finish

Brit Looking to Avenge Knockout Loss to Lima at Bellator 267

Bellator heads to London for the long-awaited rematch between Douglas Lima and Michael “Venom” Page. The event will take place on Friday at London’s Wembley Arena on Showtime.

Both Fighters Looking for a Finish

Illinois isn’t London

The betting lines have changed in favor of Michael Page as he’ll be fighting in front of his home crowd in London, England. Page went from +130 to -105 leading up to his rematch with Lima. MMA odds were +230 for Page the last time these two squared off at Bellator 221 in Illinois.

Jeremie Holloway and Michael Page trade punches during the Bellator 153
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images/AFP

Page obviously wasn’t the fan favorite. He had to deal with all the travel and time changes and for one round he looked as refreshed as any well-trained fighter should be. London fans will be incredibly loud and, although Lima is an experienced champion, that’s something he’ll have to deal with this time as opposed to Page.

Good game plans don’t always work

Lima’s camp put an unbelievable game plan that was executed perfectly in the previous matchup. Leg kicks and sweeps were certainly drilled and you can see that in pre-fight footage leading up to the fight. Lima executed that sweep perfectly and deserves all the credit in the world. The drills in training camp paid off, but will that happen again? Could you see a KO or TKO result? Perhaps. Will Page land a perfectly timed leg sweep followed by a perfectly timed punch? Doubtful.

Page was incredibly confident when he faced Lima in 2019 and you can particularly see that when he landed a big right hand early in the second round that fazed Lima. Following that sequence, Page admittedly made a mistake.

“As soon as I saw him rocked, I immediately saw the finishing line and I was like, Yeah OK, it’s game over now,” Page told Bellator in a promotional pre-fight video. “I got a lot more careless and I ended up standing a little bit too close to him, which allowed him to get the sweep.”

This fight will not go the distance

The pressure of losing is something with which both fighters have to deal. Lima is traveling to another time zone and fighting in front of Page’s hometownfans Page will also have the pressure of winning in front of his hometown fans coupled with the risk of losing to Lima for a second time. The incentive for a finish exists with both fighters if you plan to bet online.

Page likes to live up to his word in being a showman and he likes to be a showman in the form of flashy KO and TKO victories. Only four of his 20 total fights have gone the distance. Only one of his last five fights has gone to decision. Page plans on eventually finding a home for that right hand and ending the fight.

“Even the fights he’s lost, not much has happened to him,” Page told Bellator. “I don’t think anybody given him any damage in the same way I did. I was you know extremely fast and probably the fastest person he’s ever dealt with. So, yeah, I know I have the ability to do it and finish that job.”

Page was competitive in the first round against Lima and the final two minutes closed at a slow pace. His awkward style worked early in the second round, but it was his antics that set Lima up for the sweep and eventual knockout.

Las Vegas odds had the match +110 under 3½ rounds as a possibility if you placed a wager on the under. Regardless of the odds, you can expect a finish by either fighter.

Pick: Fight ends inside distance -125

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