Ian Machado, Gary and Michael Page at the UFC 303 weigh-in. Photo by Eddie Law/Cageside Press
Former Bellator title contender and dangerous striker Michael “Venom” Page opened the UFC 303 main card by taking on unbeaten rising star Ian Machado Garry in just his second UFC bout.
It goes without saying that Dan Ige had to step in to salvage the co-main event, which was halfway through the card on an already chaotic night. MVP vs. Garry was expected to be an equally explosive match.
Early on, Page showed off a stance switch, landing a scary looking front kick that just missed. But another kick sent Garry slamming MVP to the canvas and putting him on top less than two minutes into the round. Page got halfway up with his back against the wall, but Garry got his back and landed a hook. From there, Garry locked on a body triangle and slid his arm under Garry’s neck for the rear-naked choke. With Page at a disadvantage, he shook his hands and rolled, starting to land punches on Ian Garry, but Garry broke the hold! Page answered the phone and that little bit of defense helped him regain his composure and apparently survive Garry’s round.
Round two began with Page lowering his hands and showing a bit of speed. MVP was able to get in and out with lightning speed, but when Garry clinched, Page was backed into a corner again. Page took control of the fight, this time grabbing the leg and going for a heel hook. Page broke free, got to his feet, and showed some pretty good work with his right hand. A couple of hard strikes landed, sending Garry back, but not enough to give him the advantage.
Garry opened the third round with a leg kick, a rare strike at this point in the match. The two men grappled and crashed to the mat with MVP on top. This allowed Page to gain the top position, but after about two minutes, Garry rose and took his back. Garry fought on the stand, with Page holding Garry down with clasped hands until the buzzer sounded. In a closely fought match, Ian Machado won by decision over Garry, 29-28 on all three cards.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Ian Machado Garry defeats Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
