Michael Web page is thrilled to have an opponent who’s nearly as good at hyping fights as he’s.
Within the lead-up to his co-main occasion bout with Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Web page instructed Michael Bisping on a podcast that Magomedov shall be “bloodied up” of their struggle. “Shara Bullet” lived as much as his identify when he later responded with a video of him wielding a shotgun over a fallen and bloody corpse.
Magomedov’s response might need shocked some at first look, however “MVP” was an enormous fan of the clip.
“I liked it,” Web page mentioned in an interview with MMA Preventing’s Mike Heck. “For me, I like that sort of stuff. I favor that sort of banter as a result of that’s me as nicely. I favor that sort of banter and back-and-forth then among the stuff that you just see, plenty of these different fighters getting private and disrespectful. That is very lighthearted, pleasant, as a result of he’s responding to stuff.”
If anybody can recognize the effectiveness of a great gimmick, it’s Web page. Throughout his rise to stardom in Bellator, Web page turned recognized not only for his highlight-reel knockouts, however his memorable post-fight antics, which included his Pokemon homage following a brutal flying knee KO of Evangelista Santos, and Web page breaking out the Infinity Gauntlet after a win at Bellator 200.
As a lot as Web page respects Magomedov’s social media savvy, although, he’ll be much more respectful of his opponent’s expertise on struggle evening. Magomedov is coming off of one in all 2024’s finest knockouts, a double spinning backfist of Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308.
“Distinctive,” Web page mentioned when requested to explain Magomedov’s UFC run to date. “Particularly that final double spinning backfist KO. In the event you see a few of his different clips when he was within the kickboxing, you’ll be able to inform that’s one thing that he has been doing or has performed earlier than or likes to throw. So it’s not prefer it was only a random factor.
“I feel he’s tremendous proficient and even when I am going in there and do what I do know I can do, I feel he’s nonetheless set to have an thrilling profession. He simply must proceed on the trail that he’s on and simply maintain creating and rising. Generally a loss may also help with that. Generally that one loss could make you readjust a number of issues and self-reflect and push ahead even stronger.”
Web page is shifting as much as middleweight for this contest, although he doesn’t plan to stay round within the division. Nevertheless, he is aware of a win over the undefeated Magomedov will increase his inventory no matter what weight class he’s competing in.
And a win is what he expects to see within the headlines on Saturday evening.
“I assume it’s shock or ‘MVP is that man,’” Web page mentioned. “I really feel like for some cause there’s all the time a query mark over me. If I do one factor appropriate, individuals are nonetheless like, ‘Yeah however possibly about this, possibly about that.’ I feel this can be a good struggle, particularly as a result of I’m shifting up. There’s so many issues that technically work in opposition to me. He’s an undefeated fighter shifting up in weight. He’s obtained that boogeyman kind of power.
“After I go on the market and land that knockout, there’s an enormous stamp of approval from everyone. There’s not one individual that may say the rest once more.”
