EXCLUSIVE Michael Page says Chris Eubank Jr threw a ‘hissy fit’ and James DeGale threw a cheap shot

Michael Page

MIXED martial artist Michael Page refuses to take Conor McGregorโ€™s foray into boxing, against Floyd Mayweather no less, seriously. But he insists his cross-over from MMA will be different, and recounts sparring stories to prove it.

โ€œIโ€™ve been in MMA for about six years now, 12-0. I famously kneed someone in the head โ€“ got knockout of the year last year, gone viral for crazy knockouts,โ€ Page tells Boxing News. โ€œIโ€™ve always wanted to box, Iโ€™ve always sparred boxers and do well against them.โ€

He has signed with promoters David Haye and Richard Schaefer and will continue to compete in Bellator, the MMA organisation, as well as boxing. โ€œI want to be the first person to win a world championship in both disciplines. Iโ€™m still going to be doing my MMA. Itโ€™s going to be a tough road but Iโ€™m looking forward to the challenge of being able to hold that belt in both,โ€ he said.

Heโ€™s had run-ins with James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr. He said, โ€œI went up to Brighton to spar with Eubank and it was all goodโ€ฆ He threw a bit of a hissy fit after not getting his way. My styleโ€™s very awkward. To be fair any boxer if they took the time to go through the annoying stage at the beginning, for my type of style, youโ€™d find me out later in the round. Because of the movement, the angles that I hit people from, the length I hit people from, he didnโ€™t enjoy himself. He kind of just blew up at the end so I ended up leaving.โ€

He also says he had a โ€œvery good sparโ€ with IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale. โ€œI think he was already annoyed with me. I sparred one of his team-mates before and again I was having my way with him,โ€ Page said. โ€œI think he got annoyed at the stylistic side of me and when he came in, he put his hand out to touch gloves, I went to touch gloves and he hooked me in my face. It wasnโ€™t playful. He hit me with a big shot.

โ€œWe went to work, did a couple of rounds with him, he was getting frustrated at the movement, the shots that I was landing. We fell into a clinch and he headbutted me twice, so I took off my glovesโ€ฆ It all kicked off again.

โ€œSo weโ€™ve had some bad experiences but some amazing experiences.โ€

David Haye insists, โ€œMake your opinion when youโ€™ve seen him. Iโ€™ve seen him, and I know sparring is different but he his boxing ability, he was kick boxing world champion 10 times, heโ€™s now 12-0 as an MMA fighter. Whichever sport he focused on, he would be a success in. Iโ€™m just fortunate that Richardโ€™s relationship with Bellator has allowed him to come and work with us. That shows the confidence Bellator have in him โ€“ theyโ€™re not worried about him in boxing. Weโ€™ve talked to his coaches and heard the tales of these sparring sessions that heโ€™s had, and theyโ€™re confident. This is unprecedented โ€“ he sells out arenas in MMA.โ€

Schaefer added, โ€œBellator are one of the top two MMA promoters and for them to allow him to enter into a promotional agreement with boxing is ground-breaking.โ€

Page maintains approach to boxing is fundamentally different from Conor McGregorโ€™s. Michael will train with renowned boxing coach Ismael Salas and plans to take time to learn the sport and develop. As for Mayweather-McGregorโ€ฆ โ€œItโ€™s a very expensive exhibition fight and itโ€™s probably going to be Mayweatherโ€™s 50-0 and the easiest fight heโ€™s ever had in his career. I donโ€™t take anything away from McGregor as an athlete and as fighter. But itโ€™s just not your world. I have to be realistic. When I come to in this world I have to do the four rounds, six rounds and work my way up. Because I respect the sport. Heโ€™s going to the top, and to be fair if I was given that opportunity as well I would still take the fight financially speaking. Letโ€™s say the moneyโ€™s taken away, youโ€™d have train a lot longer than youโ€™re training and now youโ€™re going to be doing all these press tours, you need all that extra time to be training. And even then [heโ€™s against] someone thatโ€™s done it his whole life,โ€ Page said.

โ€œI genuinely believe he has no chance and Iโ€™m a fan of McGregor.โ€

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