Submission Only Showdown
Two titans of the mixed martial arts world collide in a fascinating professional grappling match up when Polaris returns on UFC Fight Pass this weekend. The card is stacked with a selection of the greatest submission grapplers in the world as always, but the biggest draw will undoubtedly be the showcase headliner between MMA legend Carlos Condit and current UFC welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page.
Part of the intrigue surrounding the main event stems from the fact that “MVP” has rarely showcased his grappling skills throughout his long career competing in both Bellator and the UFC, a situation which Condit admits is making it difficult to gameplan for.
“Well, I mean, he’s an active fighter” said the former UFC interim welterweight champion of his opponent while speaking on the Polaris Instagram account. “He’s going to be in great shape. You know, he’s fast, he’s agile. You know, he’s more of a striker but I’m sure that he’s going to be working on his Jits for this match. And I think that, you know, it’s hard to game plan for it, because you know, we haven’t seen a whole lot of his jiu-jitsu, his grappling because he mainly just mercs people on his feet, so I’ve just got to go in there and stay versatile and do what I do”.
A Legend Of The Sport
“The Natural Born Killer” fought inside the Octagon between 2009 and 2021, with 13 of his 32 professional victories coming by way of submission. He retired in 2021 but has dipped his toe in the professional grappling circuit occasionally since then. He beat fellow UFC veteran Jake Ellenberger at Submission Underground 23 shortly before his final MMA fight, and competed on Polaris 22 back in 2022, suffering a submission defeat to Ashley Williams.
Although the 40-year-old Albuquerque native has such an impressive number of submission wins on his MMA record, the overwhelming majority of those came in the early days of his career. He became far better known for his visceral, violent fighting style during a UFC tenure which saw him take on some of the greatest names in the sport’s history, such as Nick Diaz, Georges St-Pierre, Robbie Lawler and Dan Hardy.
“MVP” was last in action at UFC 303 when he suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Ian Machado Garry. He is now 1-1 inside the Octagon following a ten-year stint with Bellator. The 37-year-old Londoner built a reputation during that period as one of the most dangerous strikers in the world of combat sports, and he built an impressive resume of knockout finishes in the Bellator cage before making his UFC debut against Kevin Holland at UFC 299 in March.
Polaris goes down this Saturday, Nov. 2 live on UFC Fight Pass.
