Douglas Lima at Bellator 221 – May 11, 2019
Following his win over Daley, “MVP” moved on to the semifinals of the welterweight grand prix, where he took on former world champion Douglas Lima in an eagerly anticipated battle for a spot in the $1 million final. And, after 14 professional fights without defeat, Page finally experienced his first loss as a pro MMA fighter after being spectacularly finished by a Lima uppercut.
Prior to the stunning KO, Page was arguably shading the exchanges, and seemed to be growing in confidence as he forced the Brazilian back towards the cage and prepared to unleash one of his spectacular techniques. But a perfectly placed low calf kick from Lima swept Page’s lead leg out from beneath him as he dropped to the canvas. And, as he attempted to get back to his feet, he made what he admitted was a crucial mistake and hung his chin out in front of Lima.
The Brazilian didn’t need a second invitation and connected with a perfect punch to knock out the Brit and send him to his first defeat in jaw-dropping fashion. A fight in which Page was looking very competitive against a dangerous former world champion suddenly turned against him with one mistake, and one wekk-placed punch.
Page took the defeat with class and vowed to return better than ever, while Lima went on to defeat Rory MacDonald and reclaim the 170-pound strap.