Michael Page vs Alexander Shlemenko: Two Strikers Hit the Wrestling Mat

Two of Bellator's most decorated strikers are about to do the one thing nobody ever paid to watch them do: wrestle. RAF announced Wednesday that Michael "MVP" Page and Alexander Shlemenko will square off in a grappling match at RAF 14 on Oct. 3 in Las Vegas, marking the promotional debut for both men on the mats.

It's a curious pairing on paper. Between them, Page and Shlemenko have built careers on flashy finishes — Shlemenko alone owns 36 knockouts across an 89-fight run, alongside 13 submissions. Page's calling card has always been the highlight-reel head-kick, the kind of thing that made his 17-2 Bellator tenure appointment viewing. Grappling for grappling's sake? New territory for both.

Where They Stand Now

Page, now 4-1 in the UFC since arriving in 2025, is riding a three-fight winning streak — though his most recent outing, a decision over Sam Patterson at UFC London in March, was hardly a barnburner. He's not sitting idle either: MVP is already booked for UFC Paris on Sept. 5, meaning the RAF appearance slots in less than a month later.

Shlemenko, 42, is the elder statesman here. In his prime he ruled Bellator's middleweight division, capturing the title in 2013 and defending it three straight times. He's no grappling novice on paper given those 13 career submission wins, but a dedicated wrestling match strips away everything both men do best.

The Card Around It

RAF 14 isn't leaning on the Page-Shlemenko novelty to carry it. The event is topped by Arman Tsarukyan taking on Dillon Danis. Tsarukyan, the UFC's No. 2 lightweight at 23-3, is fresh off a second-round arm-triangle finish of Dan Hooker and stays busy — he faces Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 before circling back to the RAF mats.

The Bellator-to-RAF pipeline keeps flowing, too. Luke Rockhold returns for RAF's grappling series against Joe Pyfer — the same Pyfer coming off a second-round TKO of Israel Adesanya. For fans, the appeal of Page-Shlemenko is simple: it's a chance to see two knockout artists compete in the exact discipline they've spent entire careers avoiding.