Bellator 281 results: Michael Venom Page suffers title heartbreak but Paul Daley secures stunning KO in career send-off
MICHAEL VENOM PAGE suffered title heartbreak on a night Fabian Edwards and Paul Daley walked away with wins.
Page was beaten by American Logan Storley for the interim Bellator welterweight title after five frustrating rounds.
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Meanwhile Brit pair Daley, 39, and Edwards, 29, celebrated stunning stoppage wins inside Wembley Arena.
But headliner MVP was outpointed by grappler Storley, who had replaced full champion Yaroslav Amosov, 28, who is still serving Ukraine.
The first three rounds were almost carbon copies as Page would start well, landing clean strikes but spending the final half of the five minutes on the floor.
His most convincing round was the fourth, having scored with flurries of strikes while keeping the action long.
But in the final round, Storley, 29, was able to take Page, 35, down and keep him there, controlling the bout until the final bell.
The judges favoured the visitor’s grappiling despite little damage being inflicted, opposed to Page’s sporadic but eye-catching combinations.
Earlier in the night Daley, fighting for the last time in his 64-bout career which spanned over 19 years, received a heroes welcome.
But late-replacement opponent Wendell Giacamo, 27, threatened to spoil the party after dominating the opening two rounds.
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That was until the pair traded blow for blow against the cage and Daley produced a vintage KO.
As a left hook just missed the mark, his follow up right landed right on the button and left Giacamo out for the count.
It gave an emotional Daley the perfect send off in the venue he started and ultimately finished his career in.
In the chief support, Birmingham’s Edwards scored the biggest win of his career by knocking out ex-UFC champion Lyoto Machida.
Edwards had the Brazilian legend reeling backwards after an elbow before a left hook floored Machida, 43.
Ruthless ground and pound then finished the job off and gave the British middleweight contender his greatest win to date.
Edwards was joined in celebration atop of the Bellator cage by his brother, UFC welterweight contender Leon.
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