By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2025-02-01 20:33:11 | Updated at 2025-02-01 23:01:45
3 hours ago
Britain's Michael 'Venom' Page outclassed Sharabutdin Magomedov to end the Russian's undefeated reign at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a bout between two exciting strikers, it was the 37-year-old Page who impressed the judges more as he won by unanimous decision.
Two judges scored it 30-27 with the other seeing it at 29-28 in Page's favour.
"Look at me, look at me. I am the captain now," said Page.
"I wanted to mix it up. Shara Bullet [Magomedov] is an amazing MMA fighter, regardless of this result he is going to go on and do some amazing things."
The build-up to the event was marred by a range of antisemitic, homophobic and transphobic comments made by American featherweight Bryce Mitchell.
Mitchell said Adolf Hitler was a "good guy" and that "the Holocaust ain't real", comments condemned by UFC president Dana White as "beyond disgusting".
Page, who has spent the majority of his career at welterweight, fought Magomedov at middleweight for the first time since 2012.
He has one win and one defeat since joining the UFC last year and, while he intends to move back down to welterweight, the chance to fight the 30-year-old Magomedov was too good to pass up.
The Russian has won all 15 of his professional bouts, and went viral after a spectacular spinning backfist knockout in his last fight in October.
Chants for Magomedov greeted the start of the fight as noise levels rose, with fans excited at the prospect of the bout between the two flamboyant strikers.
With both fighters looking to control distance, the early stages had Magomedov attacking with leg kicks and his opponent looking to land some big right hands.
Page's movement and counter-striking started to prove problematic for Magomedov with stats showing in the second round that the Briton had landed 12 unanswered strikes to the head.
Page was finding a home for his jab while avoiding anything dangerous from Magomedov, prompting the Russian's team to tell their fighter he had to "leave everything" in the final round.
An explosive flying knee from the Londoner brought gasps from the crowd, before the Russian applied the late pressure as the final bell sounded.
After earning a statement win, and biggest of his short UFC career so far, Page hinted he could even stay at middleweight.
"One thing I knew coming out was my body wouldn't be used to this [weight]. I've got some work to do at 170lb - so watch out guys, because I'm coming," he added.
In the main event, France's Nassourdine Imavov stunned former two-time champion Israel Adesanya with a second-round knockout.
The 28-year-old landed a flush overhand right which sent Adesanya sprawling before the referee stopped the fight on the ground.
Nigerian-born New Zealander Adesanya is regarded as one of the best middleweights of all time, but came into the bout after suffering successive defeats for the first time in his career.
Imavov, meanwhile, has been building momentum at middleweight with three impressive wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen.
Adesanya, 35, started well, showing his trademark elusive movement and calf kicks but it was Imavov who delivered the first eye-catching sequence of the fight with a stinging left-right combination.
And the defining moment would come shortly after, with Imavov earning the 16th and most notable win of his career.
"I feel so good, I said all week long I was in the perfect shape and I'm the better striker," he said.
"Now I'm going to challenge for the belt."
Imavov's victory puts him in a strong position to challenge the winner of the middleweight title bout between South African champion Dricus du Plessis and American Sean Strickland at UFC 312 on 9 February.
