Bellator welterweight Michael Venom Page was not at all happy about the treatment he received from referee Dan Miragliotta during his fight in Dublin.
Page (15-1 MMA) scored another highlight-reel knockout over opponent Richard Kiely at Friday’s Bellator Europe 4 event, sending his outmatched opponent crashing to the canvas from a flying knee.
Prior to the spectacular fight-ending finish, Michael Venom Page was deducted a point by referee Dan Miragliotta for showboating.
In his post-fight interview backstage, ‘MVP’ unleashed some bold accusations against the veteran referee.
“I was disgusted,” Page told MMA Junkie. “Not only did he give me … minus a point and put me in position, he pushed me at the end and called me a piece of (expletive). Now, nobody should do that. That says to me that there’s something personal there. I don’t know what it is, but he should never be the referee for me, ever again.”
Dan Miragliotta has yet to respond to Page’s claims, but one would assume a rebuttal is forthcoming.
With tonight’s emphatic win, Michael Venom Page improved to 10-1 under the Bellator banner.
Since joining the promotion in March of 2013, ‘MVP’ has scored notable victories over David Rickels, Paul Daley and Evangelista Santos.
Page’s lone loss came to former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima by way of second round knockout.
Following tonight’s win, Michael Page took his opportunity to send a message to Lima.
“Douglas Lima, I have so much respect for you, but I’m coming back,” he said.
Douglas Lima is set to rematch Rory MacDonald for the Bellator Welterweight World Title in the finals of the promotions 170-pound tournament on October 26
Who do you think of the claims from Michael Venom Page regarding veteran referee Dan Miragliotta? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com September 28, 2019