- Michael 'Venom' Page just landed an awesome kick to his
Bellator MMA opponent's face. - This was the beginning of the end of the bout, as a doctor waved it off at the end of the round.
- Watch highlights of this, as well as other bouts on Friday's show, right here.
Michael "Venom" Page broke his Bellator opponent's nose with an almighty kick to the face Friday at Bellator 258 - a behind-closed-doors
The kickboxer is renowned for his loose, showboating fighting style, highlight-reel knockouts, and viral celebrations that channel Marvel superheroes and pop culture.
Page has suffered only one defeat in his career to date - a second-round knockout defeat to Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima in 2019.
Since then, Page had won via punches, flying knee, and decision, adding a fifth win in succession this week when he forced a doctor's stoppage over
Though Page's expert head kick did not finish Anderson there and then, it was the beginning of the end.
The impact of the kick sent Anderson to the canvas, and though he survived until the end of the round, a doctor determined that he'd had enough and awarded Page the 12th knockout win of his career.
Watch the kick right here:
-BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 8, 2021
Here's another angle:
-BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 8, 2021
And this is a close-up of Anderson's busted nose:
-RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA) May 8, 2021
Page is on a collision course for a rematch with Lima
Though he did not refer to the Brazilian by name in his post-fight victory speech, it is clear that fight remains a priority for the Brit.
"Everybody knows who I want," Page said in a statement sent to Insider. "There's one redemption fight I'm looking for. He's constantly got excuses.
"For me now, I'm not even interested in calling his name. Everyone knows who he is. We will meet."
Sergio Pettis won the Bellator title in the main event
Sergio Pettis out-slugged Juan Archuleta to earn a unanimous decision to win on the scorecards and claim Archuleta's bantamweight belt in the main event.
Pettis, who has fought at flyweight and bantamweight, is a black belt in Taekwondo, kickboxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and has shared the cage with big-name fighters Henry Cejudo, Joseph Benavidez, and Rob Font in the UFC.
But on Friday, the 27-year-old American pulled off the fight of his life to win his third straight Bellator bout and claim the company's 135-pound title.
See a highlight from the Pettis win here:
-BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 8, 2021
And here:
-BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 8, 2021
"It feels like a dream come true," Pettis said of his championship win in a statement sent to Insider.
"I knew I was just getting the better of the exchanges. He hit me with some good shots, but I knew my shots were hitting him a little cleaner, a little bit harder.
"I was very calculated, calm. He said there was a storm coming and there was heavy tides but I was out here and I was water tonight. I was just flowing. It was my night."
When talking about what is next for him, Pettis said he'd like to fight the Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi in a champion vs. champion, Bellator vs. Rizin event.
Bellator, a Los Angeles-based MMA fight firm, has co-promoted events with Rizin before, headquartered in Tokyo.
"I would like to call out Horiguchi," he said.
Elsewhere on the card, Anthony Johnson beat Jose Augusto with punches in the second round, advancing to the semi-final of Bellator's light heavyweight Grand Prix.
Peter Queally beat Patricky Pitbull with a third-round doctor's stoppage, and Lorenz Larkin earned a split decision win over Rafael Carvalho.
Bellator returns to the Mohegan Sun Arena for its Bellator 259 event on May 21.
Like Bellator 258, Bellator 259 will be broadcast on Showtime in the US.