Michael “Venom” Web page heads to UFC London to reward Khamzat Chimaev’s degree within the fitness center, whereas questioning the middleweight title shot order that Sean Strickland has reserved to problem the champion later this 12 months.
Michael Venom Web page to return to UFC London
Michael Web page will face fellow Briton Sam Patterson in a welterweight bout at UFC London, headlined by Lerone Murphy vs. Movsar Evloev, on March twenty first on the O2 Area. Web page, 38, is a former Bellator standout who signed with the UFC in 2024 and is at the moment a top-15 welterweight. The matchup with Patterson follows a string of stoppage wins for Patterson since his UFC debut in 2023.
Coaching hyperlink between Web page and Khamzat Chimaev
Web page hung out in Dubai with Khamzat Chimaev in 2024, when each males had been getting ready for vital UFC dates, and that stint was the speak of the city amongst fighters and followers alike. Caolan Laurent, a teammate of Irish contestant Ian Garry, beforehand claimed that Web page had been “overwhelmed up” by Chimaev throughout sparring, however Web page has since rejected the story, explaining that the confusion arose as a result of his teammate Norberto Noveni Jr. really went by means of a spherical with Chimaev.
Web page described the camp as a chance to see the depth of Chimaev’s wrestling on the mat and his strategy to lengthy periods the place the Chechen-born champion cycles by means of new companions, typically pushing by means of a whole room of coaching companions with none seen drop in output.
Within the run-up to UFC London, Web page mirrored on the expertise, saying, “It was nice to see Khamzat working so carefully within the fitness center,” and calling him a “monster” and “uncommon” after seeing how he dealt with his rounds dwell. He framed that perspective as coming from direct work on the elite degree, noting how troublesome it was to evaluate Chimaev’s tempo, chain wrestling and talent to regulate place till they shared the mat.
“I do not even suppose that struggle ought to exist proper now. I feel Imavov deserves a struggle and that is the struggle we needs to be speaking about. But it surely was an honor to see him within the fitness center working so carefully with Khamzat. That man is a monster. It isn’t regular. I noticed him up shut and he was so lovely. He will be a tricky opponent to beat.”
Chimaev vs. Strickland title background
Chimaev is scheduled to defend his UFC middleweight belt towards former champion Sean Strickland on Might ninth at UFC 328 in Newark, marking his first protection since profitable the title final August. The reserving comes because the promotion weighs Strickland towards sizzling contender Nasouddin Imavov, who has had a robust run however misplaced to Strickland in the primary occasion in January 2023.
Though he supported Chimaev as a “troublesome particular person to beat” primarily based on what he noticed in coaching, Web page stated he thought he ought to have been the subsequent fighter, saying, “I feel Imavov deserves a struggle.” From his perspective, a matchup with Strickland places him on the high of the middleweight division with contenders like Imavov looming, however Chimaev’s kind within the fitness center exhibits that championing stays a troublesome activity for anybody weighing 185 kilos.
