A Bellator MMA grudge match between England’s Paul Daley and Michael “Venom” Page has been booked for Feb. 16 in Uncasville, Connecticut, according to multiple sources.
The highly anticipated bout is part of Bellator’s Welterweight Grand Prix. The event, which will take place at Mohegan Sun, will air on DAZN. According to sources, the fight will air live in the United Kingdom on channel 5Spike.
Former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov will fight Cheick Kongo in the co-main of that card with the winner expected to get a title shot, sources tell ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
A fight between Daley and Page has been brewing for years, and each side has blamed the other for taking this long. The two were involved in an altercation in May 2017, when Daley confronted Page immediately after a loss to Rory MacDonald at London’s Wembley Arena.
Daley (40-16-2), of Nottingham, considered leaving Bellator earlier this year, but ultimately signed a new contract this summer. He is 5-3 in the Bellator cage, with four knockouts.
Page (13-0), of London, only fought once in 2018, but it was a convincing TKO win against a veteran in David Rickels in May. Eight of Page’s 13 career wins have come via knockout.
Former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov will fight Cheick Kongo in the co-main of that card with the winner expected to get a title shot sources tell ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
Douglas Lima (30-7) has already advanced to the semifinals of the Welterweight Grand Prix. The second fight in the tournament, a bout between Ed Ruth (6-0) and Neiman Gracie (8-0), is scheduled for Dec. 15. Current champion MacDonald (20-5) and Jon Fitch (31-7-1) will complete the first round on a date to be announced.