Michael ‘Venom’ Page has officially accepted Ian Garry’s challenge to fight at UFC 303. This potential matchup could be a thrilling addition to the card, with both fighters eager to face each other this summer.
Ian Garry initially aimed to fight Colby Covington in the co-main event of UFC 303, also known as the Conor McGregor comeback card. However, Covington is still recovering from a broken foot, forcing Garry to seek other opponents. Enter Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who has been ready for a fight from the start.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Page expressed his enthusiasm for the matchup. He noted the appeal of fighting on a UK card, given that both he and Garry are from the UK. Page mentioned, “That’d be a great match. And I knew the UK card was coming up, so I was like, oh, that’d be a great fight. They said Colby’s already taken that fight, so that’s not really a thing. But we’ll look for somebody else for the same time. So in my head I was like yeah, I already knew I was gonna be fighting in Manchester, but I was just waiting for an opponent.”
Page also mentioned that while Covington couldn’t make the fight, he was quick to accept the fight with Garry. “I don’t actually care when the fight is,” Page said. “I can do it next week. I can do it the week after. I don’t mind. I’m just saying it made more sense for the UK. He’s Irish. I’m English. On the UK card, it’s gonna be a big card. It’d be a great fight.”
Page believes Garry is looking to capitalize on Conor McGregor’s spotlight, but he himself is not interested in that. He said, “I think he likes to hang on the back of people’s coattails. So he sees Conor McGregor and gets excited. Whereas, I don’t care. Like, I don’t care for stuff like being on a Conor McGregor show. There’s loads of eyes and I don’t care when I fight. I like to create my own light.”
As for the current status of the fight, Page confirmed, “I’ve accepted the fight, so we’re just waiting. He’s accepted it? He’s accepted it. He says he’s accepted it.” However, there has been no official offer from the UFC yet. Page clarified, “I’ve just said I’m happy to fight. But there’s been no offer.”
With UFC 303 needing a strong co-main event following Khalil Rountree’s withdrawal, a Garry vs. Page fight could be the perfect addition. The anticipation is high, and fans are hopeful that the UFC will make it happen, adding some much-needed excitement to the card.
