This report contains details of what happened at Bellator 281. You can watch the entire event again on BBC iPlayer (UK users only) here. |
The American won the interim belt at the London event.
Page was dominated by the new champion over the course of five rounds.
One judge gave it to Page, 48-47, but it was a worthy winner.
The fans are mad at me, I appreciate it.
That guy is talented. Don't boo me if I win.
I have trained with a lot of people, but I have never felt that speed or distance. It is very awkward. He is hitting you with a basketball in the middle of the ring. I had to do what I had to do.
I am a world champion.
It was a historic night for British MMA, but it wasn't meant to be.
The crowd hated the action, but it was the right decision for Storley to stick to his gameplan. The 35-year-old's inability to get back to his feet was a big factor in the second defeat of his career.
With Yaroslav Amosov currently fighting in Ukranian, it's a good chance that Storley will get the chance to fight for the title.
Page was flanked by his brother and brother-in-law. He was relaxed and the crowd was expecting a vintage performance from the exciting forward after huge knockouts for Fabian Edwards and Paul Daley.
There was no desire from the man to engage with the man on the feet.
Page was forced into a defensive position for most of the first round as he was forced to take the fight to the ground.
The start of the second round was allowed to stay on the feet after Storley was unable to make the most of his position. The crowd was happy to see the showman try to switch on his showman mode.
When Page moved into close range, Storley would shoot for his legs and he was successful. The rest of the round was pinned against the cage. Jacob Montalvo was happy to let Storley do his work and wear Page down, even though another referee might have stood the pair up.
The third round was similar to the first as he began on the feet but quickly moved to the ground. The Briton had no answer to the American's dominance despite the fact that Storley's wrestling was not aggressive enough.
In the fourth, there was some joy for Page as he appeared to slow down. Page was on his toes as he ducked in and out of range. A flying knee narrowly missed but the follow-up right landed on him.
Page smirked as he tried to respond. The round was weighing down on his opponent as he shot for Page's legs again.
Page was looking for a Hail Mary moment. He tried a flying knee but it exposed him to the take down. Page tried to get back to his feet, but as he attempted to stand up midway through the round, he was dumped back down to the canvas.
The fight ended with Page on the ground and there was no complaint from the man who won the match.