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FIGHT ODDS

By the Numbers: Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo

Mark RaymundoNov 21, 2019


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With Derek Anderson out due to an injury, Bellator MMA was hard-pressed to find a replacement opponent for Michael Page. One man stepped up, a dangerous Italian by the name of Giovanni Melillo. In his last fight, Melillo defeated one-time Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Will Chope. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, expect Melillo to cut loose when he steps in against Page on Saturday at Bellator London. See through the numbers below if he has what it takes to shame “MVP.”

Age, height and overall experience

Thirty-four-year-old Melillo was born on Feb. 5, 1985, making him two years the senior of his opponent Page, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on April 7. At 5-foot-11, Melillo is not a short welterweight, but he will nevertheless be dwarfed by the 6-foot-4 Page.

While Melillo may be older than Page, it is Page who started his career first. On Feb. 4, 2012, Venom flashed early brilliance when he won via tornado kick in the first round of his pro debut. He quickly made news and caught the attention of Bellator, where he is still fighting to this day. Page has lost only once in 16 professional fights.

Like Page, Melillo also impressed in his pro debut. In fact, “The Punisher” went 6-0 to start his career, only losing for the first time when he met Bellator veteran Karl Amoussou. Currently, he sports a record of 13-4.

Bellator appearances

Page got the call from Bellator after only three professional bouts and made his promotional debut at Bellator 93. As if a sign of things to come, he dropped and stopped Ryan Sanders with one punch, ending the fight in 10 seconds. The pride of London has been phenomenal, taking out one opponent after the other, including the likes of Paul Daley, David Rickels, Ricky Rainey and Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos. His current Bellator record is 12-1.

As for Melillo, who will be making his Bellator debut, his only taste to date of Bellator competition has been his aforementioned loss to Bellator veteran Karl Amoussou earlier in his career.

Knockout rate

Sixty percent of Page’s wins have come via knockout. That translates to nine victories by KO or TKO for the London Shootfighters representative. His Bellator victims have been Richard Kiely, David Rickels, Evangelista Santos, Charlie Ontiveros, Rudy Bears, Ricky Rainey and Ryan Sanders. Melillo’s knockout rate is slightly higher at 62 percent, which translates to eight triumphs by KO or TKO.

Submission rate

Both fighters have submissions in their arsenal. Page has tapped out three opponents, which makes for a 20 percent submission rate. Melillo, on the other hand, has choked out two opponents, which translates to a 15 percent submission rate.

Career losses

Before beating Will Chope, Melillo suffered back-to-back defeats to Michelangelo Colangelo and Daniel Skibinski. He also lost to Kerim Engizek and Amoussou. That’s four losses in 17 fights for the Italian. Meanwhile, Page has lost only once in his career. At Bellator 221, he was shockingly starched by Douglas Lima in the second round.