Former Bellator welterweight champion Michael ‘Venom’ Page recently returned to the cage at Bellator 292, marking his first appearance since his unsuccessful interim welterweight belt bid in 2022.
In the highly-anticipated matchup, Page squared off against the skilled submission specialist Goiti Yamauchi, who had previously earned a KO victory over Neiman Gracie.
Despite being widely expected to rely on his grappling-heavy style to neutralize Page’s expert striking ability, Yamauchi never even had a chance to use his grappling in the bout.
From the outset, Page established his dominance with his trademark bouncy karate stance and slowly pressured his opponent forward.
In an odd turn of events, Page threw a single low kick, and Yamauchi fell down immediately, seemingly due to the impact landing directly on his kneecap. The kneecap distorted badly on impact, popping upwards and causing a scene in the cage.
View this post on Instagram
With this KO victory, Page secured his place in the history books as the first to ever finish Goiti Yamauchi in his thirty-fourth professional bout. Additionally, Page also claimed the top spot for the most knockouts in Bellator history, a feat that solidifies his status as one of the promotion’s greatest stars.
In his cage interview, Page displayed humility and sportsmanship, wishing his veteran opponent a speedy recovery from the injury sustained during.
Overall, this matchup showcased the incredible skill and dominance of Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who continues to cement his legacy as one of the most entertaining guys to watch.
Official Result: Michael Page def. Goiti Yamauchi by KO (leg kick), Round 1, 0:26