By G9ija
The British fighters finally collide in the first round of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix on 16 February in Connecticut.
Page and Daley came face-to-face in London on Wednesday ahead of their much-anticipated fight, but the press conference had to be cut short as tensions rose.
A face-off was axed with fears a melee could erupt, but Page was pleased he was able to rattle his opponent.
I already live in his head, that’s one of my apartments. Way before we even get into the cage, he will be wound so tight he’ll come out and walk straight into more frustration.
Anyone can see he is quite an emotional person. It’s been very good for him and a positive thing for him in fights, but it’s also worked against him. I’m planning on that working against him.
While Daley is by far the more experienced fighter with 58 professional bouts, Page insists his rival has not changed down the years.
Page is confident he can outclass Daley, but thinks he cannot switch off against his opponent – even after the fight is finished. ‘No, he hasn’t changed at all,’ Page explained.
He’s a great kickboxer with power. In fact, let me take that back, I don’t think he’s a great kickboxer. He’s a good kickboxer with great power.
There’s so many good kickboxers out there. He’s managed to transfer that over to the mixed martial arts, but without really learning enough mixed martial arts.
He added: ‘As much as I can give it back, I don’t need to respond and do anything, whereas I don’t believe he would be able to hold himself back and stay professional during a face-off.
My coaches actually said to me even after I beat him, I’ve got to be careful when he comes up to shake hands because he’s done [crazy] things before.
He’s the kind of person [that] in that moment, you can see the animosity between me and him, he 100 per cent doesn’t want it to go the way it’s going to go.
When it does go that way, he may still want to lash out and get something back from it. I have to be on my toes the whole way.
MVP is defending a 13-0 perfect record against Daley and predicts the fight that has taken three years to come to fruition might be Semtex’s last.
In my opinion I don’t believe there is anywhere for him to go after this fight,’ he said. ‘I’m kind of his only way back into fighting the [likes of] Douglas Lima and Rory MacDonald again.
If I destroy him in the fashion that I know I can, I genuinely believe he will hang up and leave it.