Douglas Lima believes Michael Page will shine in his first experience in the bare-knuckle boxing world on Aug. 20, when he meets former UFC fighter Mike Perry at BKFC 27 in London.
“Venom” fought Lima twice inside the Bellator cage, avenging a knockout defeat with a close decision in 2021 to earn a shot at the welterweight gold. He came up short against Logan Storley for the interim strap, a controversial split decision this past May, and now competes in a bare-knuckle boxing match before returning to Bellator.
For Lima, booking a precise striker like Page across the ring with a brawler in Perry is the perfect opportunity for the Englishman to showcase his skills.
“I think it’s cool, and a great fight for Page,” Lima said on a recent episode of MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca. “Page is very fast, faster than it seems. I think he’ll hurt the other guy, especially with no gloves.”
The Brazilian was hoping for an immediate trilogy with Page after the close decision defeat that left him on a three-fight losing skid. Still, “The Phenom” felt that Page had done enough to get his hands raised against Storley for the interim championship.
“[Storley] grabbed him well and did what he does, but it’s boring, right? Nobody likes that,” Lima said. “A wrestler that goes out there to finish the fight, cool, but one that only grabs you, it’s very boring. Michael Page fought a great fight with him. It’s the first time we saw him against a tough wrestler like that, one with great takedowns and control. It’s not easy to fight someone like that, and I think Page fought well and landed more strikes.
“[Storley] controlled well, but didn’t do anything in terms of damage. I would have given Page the win. Not taking anything away from Logan, he’s tough and did his thing, but you have to more than that, you know? Especially for the belt and all that, you have to do more. But what can we do, right?”
One of the most accomplished fighters inside the Bellator cage, Lima said he’s also open to testing himself in a different platform just like Page.
“It’s nice that Bellator lets us do things like that,” Lima said. “I’ve always wanted to fight at RIZIN, I’m crazy to fight in Japan. I was a PRIDE fan and it was a dream to fight there, even if it’s a Bellator fight in Japan like Page did [vs. Shinsho Anzai at Bellator 237]. It’s nice that [Bellator] lets fighters do that.
“A boxing match would be cool, too, against someone like Logan Paul. Give me that. If the opportunity comes, they pay well, and I’d definitely do it.”
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