Michael 'Venom' Page reveals the one factor that will decide UFC 319 blockbuster between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev - as the MMA star outlines his next career move

Michael 'Venom' Page is no ordinary mixed martial arts fighter.

From the moment he first stepped into the cage as a professional more than a decade ago, Page has been a marked man, and for good reason.

With a devastatingly efficient striking style honed in his background as a point kickboxing champion, Page has blurred the lines between showmanship and disdain for his opponents' abilities inside the cage.

In a sport where making a name for one's self can prove difficult for even the most talented of fighters, Page became a viral star several times over for his spectacular knockouts in the now-defunct Bellator promotion.

Now though, the 38-year-old has finally made his way into the UFC and has wasted little time announcing himself as a bonafide contender.

After becoming the first man to defeat the highly-touted Dagestani Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov in February, Page is now set to take on Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 on Saturday.

Victory over Cannonier could push him to the front of the queue at 185lbs, but Page told Daily Mail Sport that he has stuck to tried and tested methods in preparation for the bout.

'It's the same in the sense of how difficult it is,' he said. 

'It's very intense at our gym. London Shootfighters is known for high intensity and really pushing fitness and sparring and all the rest. 

'I just made a few adjustments in terms of my style and what I need to do for this fight specifically.'

Page has fought the majority of his professional career 15lbs lighter in the welterweight division.

However, the Westminster-born striker revealed that a move to middleweight appealed to him as it offers a clearer route up the ladder.

He continued: 'I couldn't honestly tell you exactly what is going to happen because, like I said, the welterweight division just seems a bit stuck at the moment. 

'Not many people are willing to take those risks because everyone's got their hand up and claims to be the next person in line to fight for the title. 

'Some people that have dropped down from the title are trying to stay in and around that area and they don't want to take any risky fights. 

'There's just not enough movement going on. I just want to get going. So middleweight might just be the place I need to do that in.'

The main event of Saturday's event from Chicago Illinois will see reigning middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis defend his belt against Khamzat Chimaev.

With his suffocating grappling skills, Chimaev has enjoyed a period of unprecedented dominance inside the Octagon since making a splash upon his debut in 2020.

The undefeated star enters the clash as the bookies' favourite but Page added it would be unwise to count out the defending champion.

'I keep saying Du Plessis, I never understand it, but as much as he keeps winning,' Page added.

'I feel like his skill is just the art of knowing how to win. Because looking at him in terms of his skill attributes that he brings, he looks quite messy, he doesn't look like the cleanest. 

'He doesn't look like your obvious champion, but he just knows how to drag out a win every single time. And that in itself is an amazing talent. 

'But then I've seen Khamzat before, trained alongside him, and he's just a different specimen. So it's difficult, I think it's just a great fight.'

'I am going to say Khamzat, but I've been telling everybody, if Du Plessis wins, I'm never putting my money against him again. 

While a statement victory at the United Centre could put Page on a collision course for the middleweight title he insisted that at this stage of his career he is chasing the biggest possible.

An all-British showdown with former welterweight champion Leon Edwards in front of a UK audience would certainly fit that bill.

'I think it would be good stylistically, but just in general,' Page added.  

'Both me and him come from very similar backgrounds, and I think we can inspire a lot of people that come from similar backgrounds from the UK that are aspiring to do it. 

'Because back in the day, even for myself, I had very few people to look at from the UK. Very few people that were from my background, very few people that had all of those things and were at the fighting at the top level. 

'Now there's a potential to have like almost like, those classic [British] boxing fights that we haven't really had in MMA. And I just want to be a part of that.'