Page’s Early Knockdowns Survived Cannonier’s Final-Round

Michael “Venom” Page defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025. All three judges scored the middleweight bout 29–28 for Page at United Center in Chicago after Cannonier mounted a strong late response.

Movement and timing produced an immediate advantage

Page opened with his familiar feints and changes of rhythm, inviting Cannonier to close distance. After an early clinch, he landed a heavy punch that knocked the former title challenger down.

Page followed with jabs and continued frustrating Cannonier’s entries. Cannonier tried to keep him against the fence, but the clinch work produced limited damage before the first round ended.

Another knockdown strengthened Page’s position

Page caught Cannonier reaching again in the second and dropped him for a second time. The accurate counters made the American’s attempts to establish pressure costly.

Cannonier eventually converted a clinch into a takedown, but Page quickly stood and separated. More fence control followed, without overturning the advantage created by Page’s cleaner offense.

Cannonier made the last round his strongest

In the third, Cannonier capitalized on an awkward entry and took Page down. He progressed through half guard to mount and landed strikes from dominant positions for much of the round.

The late success was insufficient to erase Page’s earlier work on the scorecards. Page added a second consecutive middleweight victory after beating Shara Magomedov, extending a UFC run that had also included a win over Kevin Holland and a defeat against Ian Machado Garry.

Sources

• Cageside Press: two knockdowns, third-round mount and Page’s UFC background
• UFC: official scores and Chicago event details
• MMA Fighting: multiple knockdowns and late Cannonier comeback

Tags

UFC, MMA