Michael
Page (22-3) believes Sharabutdin
Magomedov (15-0) will already be in a bad state if he tries to
land a takedown in their upcoming clash.
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Two of the most entertaining strikers in the sport, Page and
Magomedov will clash in the co-main event at UFC
Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While it’s likely the fight remains on the feet, the dynamic could
change if one of the strikers attempts to transition to a
wrestling-based approach. “MVP” doubts Magomedov will try to take
him down, as he believes the Dagestani is too hard-headed and
confident in his own skillset. However, if it comes to that, Page
thinks “Shara Bullet” will be in a desperate condition. According
to the Brit, Magomedov might be too bloodied up to mount a comeback
if and when he shoots for a takedown.
“If he does [shoot], it means the fight is going my way — and
aggressively my way,” Page said on the “Believe You Me” podcast.
“Because I think he’ll be a lot more stubborn in believing in his
ability. So I think I’d definitely be landing some crazy shots if
he decides to go for a takedown… Because in his mind, he believes
he’s the best when it comes to the striking game. So it’ll take a
few knocks before he decides to change that. And it might be too
little too late. So I doubt it, but I think he’ll be very bloodied
up if he’s going for a takedown.”
Magomedov has four UFC wins to his name, including two finishes.
The rising star is coming off a double-spinning backfist knockout
win over Armen
Petrosyan at UFC 308 this past October that was a frontrunner
for “KO of the Year.”
Meanwhile, Page suffered a unanimous decision loss against Ian Garry at
UFC 303 in June after roping in a unanimous decision win over
Kevin
Holland in his UFC debut in March.