- What: UFC 299
- Who: Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page
- Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
- Location: Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida
- Time: Early Prelims (6:00 p.m. ET) Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET) PPV Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+), Prelims (ESPN), Main Card (ESPN+ Pay-Per-View)
The UFC bantamweight title is up for grabs when the promotion heads to Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, for the UFC 299 pay-per-view fight card. In the main event of UFC 299, UFC 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley faces Marlon “Chito” Vera in his first defense of the title he won in August 2023 with a second-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling. Also on the main card, Kevin Holland welcomes former Bellator competitor Michael “Venom” Page to the ranks of the UFC’s welterweight division.
Kevin Holland (25-10-0-1) went from being passed over for a Dana White Contender Series contract in 2018 to a top-15 ranked UFC welterweight in 2024. Holland is 2-1 in his past three UFC outings and is coming off a split-decision setback to Jack Della Maddalena in September 2023.
Michael “Venom” Page (21-2) signed with the UFC in December 2023 after spending over 10 years competing for Bellator. Page never held Bellator gold during his tenure with the promotion. However, he was a fan favorite, racking up 12 stoppages (11 knockouts, one submission) during his time with that organization.
Before we look at the best bets for the Holland vs. Page matchup on the UFC 299 PPV card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find our betting pick for the UFC 299 main event.
UFC 299: Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page betting picks
Kevin Holland betting breakdown
Kevin Holland has a diverse skill set but is mainly known for his striking. He uses volume over power on the feet, switching up his stances and mixing up his targets. In his loss to Jack Della Maddalena, Holland went to the head of his opponent 46 percent of the time, 25 percent to the body, and 27 percent to Della Maddalena’s legs. In that contest, Holland attempted 356 significant strikes and landed 127.
Holland fights well behind his length. He is 6-foot-3, and he has an 81-inch reach. Holland has 14 career knockout wins.
In addition to his striking talents, Holland is more than capable on the mat, with seven career submission victories, including a recent D’arce choke stoppage of Michael Chiesa.
One knock against Holland is that he sometimes puts entertainment above victory, which worked against him when he refused to use his grappling in a loss to the more talented striker Stephen Thompson in December 2022. I don’t think that will be the case in this contest, as Page is an “outsider” looking to step in and move quickly to the top of the UFC welterweight pecking order.
Michael Page betting breakdown
Michael Page is one of the flashiest strikers in MMA. Like Holland, he also has a diverse bag of tricks he can employ, but he packs more power and speed than his UFC 299 opponent. Page uses a slick kickboxing style and can take advantage of an opponent’s mistakes or timing errors with speed and power. Something he showed when he crushed Evangelista Santos with a flying knee in 2016.
The one drawback with Page is that a lot of his Bellator fights seemed to be booked to give him a showcase. He only faced tough competition with that promotion late in his career, and even when he did face tough opponents, he did not meet them in back-to-back fights. Because of that type of booking, we have never been able to get a true gauge on just how good Page is as a fighter. Another thing to consider is that Page is making his UFC debut at 36 years of age, which is usually when fighters at welterweight and below tend to decline.
Page has some ground skills but wants to keep his fights on the feet. Look for him to do everything he can to keep Holland from taking this fight to the ground.
Best Bets: UFC 299: Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page
Michael Page is a live betting underdog in this fight, and he could very well pick up the victory in this matchup, but his route to the win is strictly through his striking. Holland has more high-level experience and has hopefully learned from his past mistakes of putting showmanship over victory. The betting pick is for the betting favorite, Kevin Holland, to pick up the victory via decision, but there is some betting value in picking him to win via submission.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
