MIchael 'Venom' Page Celebrates KO By Throwing Pokeball At Opponent

In July 2016, when Pokemon GO was at the height of its popularity, this footage of MMA fighter Michael 'Venom' Page delivering a memorable celebration went viral.

Bellator MMA hosted their first event on UK soil, as 'MVP' was one of the main attractions.

The British welterweight improved his record to a perfect 11-0 with a devastating flying knee that KO'd opponent Evangelista Santos.

Veteran referee 'Big' John McCarthy even claimed it was one of the most hardest knees he's ever witnessed. Brutal.

Despite the outrageous finish it was his post-fight antics which caught everyone's attention. He became the latest MMA fighter to jump on the Pokemon frenzy by putting on a Pokemon cap and catching his downed foe with a Pokeball.

As you can see in the footage above, Page raises his hand and performs the classic Ash Ketchum, two finger salute in tribute to the popular game.

Have you ever seen anything like it?

Page's opponent, Evangelista Santos, later revealed the extent of his injuries following his knock-out loss to Michael 'Venom' Page at Bellator 158.

It was a brutal flying knee which ended the fight in the second round as Joe Rogan described the injury as the worst MMA injury he'd ever seen.

"This is THE WORST MMA injury I've ever seen. Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Cyborg." Rogan penned on his Facebook at the time.

Hundreds of thousands sent their best wishes on social media to Cyborg Santos as he sat in hospital, with scans showing the horrific extent of his injuries.

A year later, Santos spoke about his injuries via MMA Junkie and thankfully, his recovery went well.

"My recovery was very uneventful, thankfully. "I remained in Houston, Texas, for six months. Whenever possible, I'd go back to the hospital for follow-ups. I've been in Brazil since December." he said.

"My recovery went very well. I never felt anything. I don't feel anything. The decision to remain 'suspended' from fighting came from me. I believe I need this time to recover. I have to respect my body. It was a very serious fracture, as everyone saw."

'Cyborg' has still not returned to action since the injury.

Featured Image Credit: Bellator

Topics: Bellator, UFC, MMA

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

@jackkenmare_