UFC 319 Preview and Prediction: Jared Cannonier – Michael 'Venom' Page

Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 319, we are going to see a really fun matchup in the middleweight division. Former title challenger Jared Cannonier (18-8) will look to defend his spot in the top ten at 185 as he takes on the incredibly dangerous and entertaining Michael “Venom” Page (23-3).

MVP made his highly anticipated UFC debut in March 2024 and he dazzled against Kevin Holland. After that, he took on Ian Machado Garry and while he looked good on the feet, he struggled with the grappling leading to a decision loss. After that, MVP moved up to 185 to take on Shara Magomedov earlier this year and his speed and accuracy were on full display as he became the first man to beat Shara Bullet. Now, he’s staying at middleweight and taking on “The Killa Gorilla”.

Jared Cannonier admitted that he really didn’t understand the matchmaking here. Cannonier is coming off a main event TKO win over Gregory Rodrigues and he’s ranked in the top ten with his only four losses at 185 coming to Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov, and former UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. In my opinion, this fight is all about entertainment and we should get that with Cannonier and the elusive Michael “Venom” Page.

UFC 319 Prediction

I’m going to be very interested to see the game plan of Jared Cannonier tomorrow night. Cannonier has thrived using his big power at 185 pounds but if he chooses to strike with MVP, he’s going to be in trouble. Cannonier is going to struggle with the range and the speed of Page. If this turns into a kickboxing matchup, I think MVP runs away with a decision using his movement, range, and speed.

However, I think Cannonier is going to make this much more physical at UFC 319. I expect Cannonier to really look to get inside and use his superior strength to grappler. I’m expecting a lot of cage and clinch work as well. With that, I think you’ll ultimately see a decision win for Jared Cannonier if he fights with the right game plan. MVP struggles with strong grapplers and I’m expecting Jared Cannonier to look like one tomorrow night.

Prediction: Jared Cannonier by Decision