Dana White Announces MVP vs. UFC Veteran For March Event

MVP has moved from Bellator to the UFC beginning in 2024.

Zain Bando | Dec 17, 2023

Dana White Announces MVP vs. UFC Veteran For March Event /

In what was a whirlwind UFC 296 event, UFC CEO Dana White took a moment to announce some more fights taking place to begin 2024.

One of them involved the signing of former Bellator fan favorite and welterweight Michael "Venom" Page (aka) "MVP."

A move that has been hinted at for a few months, Page won’t be faced with an easy first test at welterweight. The 36-year-old will take on Kevin Holland, who has famously bounced between welterweight and middleweight over the last several years.

UFC 296 Results & Highlights: Edwards Outworks Covington

Page fought for Bellator for a decade, going 17-2 in that span. His last win saw him knock off Goiti Yamauchi in March, snapping a two-fight skid.

In a division that has seen Leon Edwards retain his title in back-to-back wins, the addition of Page gives 170 some stability and the opportunity for the promotion to make fresh matchups moving forward. A Page win immediately puts him in title contention, as he is the first major Bellator signee since Michael Chandler.

The bout will take place March 9, 2024, on the UFC’s penultimate milestone card, UFC 299, which is headlined by Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera for the UFC bantamweight title. The fights will take place from Miami, Fla.

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Published Dec 17, 2023

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99