What is Bellator doing with Michael Page? | Spinning Back Clique

What is Bellator doing with Michael Page? MMA Junkie’s George Garcia, Brian Garcia and John Morgan discuss the topic in this segment from Spinning Back Clique

What is Bellator doing with Michael Page? MMA Junkie’s George Garcia, Brian Garcia and John Morgan discuss the topic in this segment from Spinning Back Clique

Giovanni Melillo fueled by underdog status against Michael Page at Bellator Europe 6

Giovanni Melillo is relishing the experience of fighting Michael Page in the Bellator Europe 6 main event.

LONDON – [autotag]Giovanni Melillo[/autotag] is relishing the experience of fighting [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] in the Bellator Europe 6 main event.

Melillo (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) stepped in as an injury replacement to fight Page (15-1 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) in the welterweight headliner of Saturday’s card, which takes place at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London and streams on MMA Junkie, on short notice and is planning to take advantage of the opportunity.

“It’s a big match in a big show and I’m very happy Bellator had me fight with the King of England ‘MVP,'” Melillo told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at Bellator Europe 6 media day.

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With Page currently listed as high as a -1600 betting favorite ahead of the bout, Melillo knows public perception is not in his favor. However, he said he likes that roll.

“I know all the people are for ‘Venom’ Page, but I am quiet,” Melillo said. “This pressure charge me.”

To hear more from Melillo, watch his complete Bellator Europe 6 media day interview above.

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WATCH: Bellator Europe 6 media day faceoffs video

Watch the fighter faceoffs from Bellator Europe 6 media day in London, where Michael Page and Fabian Edwards were on hand.

LONDON – Watch fighters competing on the Bellator Europe 6 card face off Thursday during media day. MMA Junkie was on the scene for all the happenings.

In the main event, striking sensation [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) meets short-notice replacement [autotag]Gianni Melillo[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Meanwhile, undefeated [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) squares off against [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) as part of the card’s co-main event.

You can check out those faceoffs, as well as a host of others, in the video above.

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Bellator Europe 6 takes place Saturday at the SSE Arena. The card streams on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator Europe 6 pre-event facts: ‘MVP’ seeks welterweight knockout record

Check out the facts and figures about Bellator Europe 6, which takes place Saturday with a Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo main event.

Bellator’s final international stop of the year goes down Saturday with Bellator Europe 6, which takes place at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London, with a card that streams entirely on MMA Junkie.

One of Bellator’s most notable names is set to headline the card. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) returns to the cage in the welterweight main event when he takes on promotional newcomer [autotag]Giovanni Melillo[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who serves as an injury replacement for Derek Anderson.

For more on the numbers behind that fight, as well as the rest of the lineup, check below for 15 pre-event facts about Bellator Europe 6.

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Main event

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Page competes in his 13th Bellator welterweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Andrey Koreshkov (17) and Douglas Lima (16).

Page’s 11 victories in Bellator welterweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Koreshkov (13) and Lima (13).

Page’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak, snapped in Bellator 221, is the second longest streak in company history behind A.J. McKee (15).

Page’s eight stoppage victories in Bellator welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Lima (nine).

Page’s six knockout victories in Bellator welterweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Lima (eight) and Koreshkov (seven).

Melillo, 34, is the oldest of the six scheduled main card fighters.

Melillo competes in a main event spot in his Bellator debut.

Melillo is 3-3 in his past six fights dating back to December 2017.

Melillo has suffered all four of his career losses by first-round knockout.

Co-main event

Fabian Edwards

[autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), 26, is the youngest of the six scheduled main card fighters.

Edwards becomes the first fighter to make four Bellator appearances in 2019.

Edwards’ three-fight Bellator winning streak at middleweight is the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Anatoly Tokov (five), Rafael Lovato Jr. (four) and Charlie Ward (four).

[autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) has earned all 13 of his career victories by stoppage.

Shipman’s four stoppage victories in Bellator middleweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Alexander Shlemenko (eight) and Rafael Carvalho (six).

Remaining main card

[autotag]Terry Brazier[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is 10-1 in his past 11 fights dating back to November 2015.

Spinning Back Clique: Thoughts on Ben Askren retirement, potential Nick Diaz return, and more

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze touch on the biggest storylines around the world of MMA and take a quick look back at a lackluster UFC on ESPN+ 22 show.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] announced his retirement from MMA on Monday after an eventful UFC stint in which he went 1-2 with the promotion. What does this mean for the former undefeated Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion’s legacy? Is there more to judge than just his win-loss record inside the octagon?
  • [autotag]Nick Diaz [/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: Buying or selling? And should Diaz even return to the cage after such a long absence?
  • MMA vs. Boxing: We’ve got Masvidal not backing off his callout of Canelo Alvarez. We’ve got Tyson Fury training MMA with Darren Till and apparently wanting to fight UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. And there’s continued talk of Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields fighting UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes. What the heck is this all about?
  • UFC Sao Paulo was, well … it was not the most memorable evening in MMA history. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] won. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] fought to a split draw. It’s no surprise there wasn’t a “Fight of the Night” bonus handed out. But, hey, at least there was [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] scoring another finish. What was the biggest takeaway from the card?
  • Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] returns this week to headline Bellator Europe 6 in London, and he’s facing … a newcomer. What is Bellator doing here? Will it let “Venom” face real competition or not?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.

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As another fighter retires, is it time for a changing of the guard? | Spinning Back Clique

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze react to the latest MMA news and notes, as well as the UFC Sao Paulo results.

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze react to the latest MMA news and notes, as well as the UFC Sao Paulo results.

Defining Fights: Bellator Europe 6 headliner Michael ‘Venom’ Page

MMA Junkie takes a look back through the fights that helped define the career of Bellator welterweight star Michael ‘Venom’ Page.

British welterweight star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] takes center stage at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday as Bellator lands in the U.K. for Bellator Europe 6.

The London Shootfighters-trained star has a reputation for being one of the most flamboyant, spectacular, yet polarizing fighters in the world as Page (15-1 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) has compiled a resume packed with highlight-reel finishes and memorable post-fight celebrations.

Ahead of his main event clash with Italy’s Giovanni Melillo in London this weekend, we take a look at the six fights that have helped define the career of the man known to the MMA world as “MVP.”

Ben Dishman at UCMMA 26: The Real Deal – Feb. 4, 2012

The fight that started it all saw Page make his professional MMA debut at London’s Troxy Theater against white-collar boxer Ben Dishman at UCMMA 26. And “MVP” produced one of the most spectacular debuts we’ve seen from a fighter on their pro debut as he finished Dishman with a stunning tornado kick.

Page’s reaction, standing with his arms spread wide, spoke volumes about his supreme confidence as he announced his arrival as a spectacular new prospect in the sport.

Bellator Europe 6: Make your predictions for Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo

We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator Europe 6 event in London.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s Bellator Europe 6 event in London.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator Europe 6 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator Europe 6 takes place Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London. The card streams on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for all three main card fights inside:

Michael Page draws newcomer Giovanni Melillo as Derek Anderson’s replacement for Bellator Europe 6 main event

After Derek Anderson’s withdrawal, Michael Page will now face newcomer Giovanni Melillo in the Bellator Europe 6 main event.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] will go from facing a veteran to a newcomer.

Bellator officials announced Friday that [autotag]Giovanni Melillo[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will step in for [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) to take on Page (15-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) in the Bellator Europe 6 main event.

Bellator Europe 6 takes place Nov. 23 at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London. The event will simulcast on tape delay in the U.S. on Paramount and DAZN. The Bellator Europe 6 portion of the card will stream live in the U.S. on MMA Junkie.

After Anderson was forced to withdraw due to injury, a replacement opponent was quickly found. The 34-year-old Melillo, from Italy, gets his biggest career opportunity. The Cage Warriors and ACB veteran is coming off a unanimous decision win over Will Chope at Fight Clubbing 24 in May.

Page was able to rebound from his first pro loss to current Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima with a flying knee knockout win over Richard Kiely at Bellator 227.

The Bellator Europe 6 lineup now includes:

  • Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo
  • Fabian Edwards vs. Mike Shipman
  • Terry Brazier vs. Soren Bak
  • Denise Kielholtz vs. Sabriye Sengul
  • Kent Kauppinen vs. Andy Manzolo
  • Kevin Fryer vs. George Tokkos
  • Charlie Leary vs. Tim Wilde
  • Damian Frankiewicz vs. Aiden Lee
  • Daniel Crawford vs. Robert Whiteford
  • Alfie Davis vs. Myles Price
  • Walter Gahadza vs. Lewis Long
  • Tom Green vs. Akonne Wanliss
  • ‘Super’ Shane Campbell vs. Raphael Uchegbu
  • Chris Bungard vs. Mario Saeed
  • Harry Hardwick vs. Nathan Rose
  • Tom Mearns vs. Jeremy Petley
  • Pietro Penini vs. Charlie Ward

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