'You're actually an idiot': What led to Michael Page-Richard Kiely skirmish at Bellator 227 presser

Bellator welterweight Michael Page endured plenty of verbal jabs from Richard Kiely – and gave out more than a few of his own Tuesday at a Bellator 227 news conference in Dublin.

“Venom” Page and Kiely traded insults for over 15 minutes before things got physical. As they walked across the dais to face off, Page initially looked disinterested before putting his hand on Kiely’s neck, leading to a brief skirmish that was quickly separated by security.

Kiely (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) set the tone early with a crack at Page’s wardrobe, which he said belonged to a “16-year-old virgin.” The Irish underdog crassly renamed his opponent a part of the female anatomy.

From the outset, Page (14-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) cast his opponent as a “warm-up” fight not deserving of his stature. He said verbal attacks directed at his teammates prompted him to get in the middle.

“He’s been running his mouth for a long time,” Page said of the matchup set for Sept. 28 at Dublin’s 3Arena. “That’s what he does. It’s fine, besides chatting (expletive) some about my teammates. It kind of forced me to pipe up a little bit.”

Repeatedly casting himself as the new “face” of Bellator, Kiely said Page actually requested the bout despite his claims of being offered an “extra payday” by the promotion. Page glared at Kiely before getting personal.

“I’ve probably got more Irish fans than he does,” Page said. “The face of Area 51 over there.”

Bellator Europe chief David Green could hardly contain his smile. Green sat in between the two fighters as the bad blood boiled.

Kiely, who has less than half Page’s professional MMA experience, welcomed his role as the underdog. He repeatedly cited Page’s recent knockout loss at the hands of ex-champ Douglas Lima as proof the popular striker had a fatal flaw.

“We’ve already seen what happens when he gets hit on the chin,” Kiely said. “He goes out. He got hit with an arm punch by a static, slow leaner.

“When I land on him, he’s going out cold. You can laugh all you want, but you’re fighting a guy who’s faster than Lima. I’ve proven I can put people to sleep with one shot, and you’ve proven that you get a twitch in your chin, and you go out.”

Page laughed and cited one of Kiely’s coaches was one of his victims on the kickboxing circuit. Kiely denied using the coach for September’s showdown and pointed out the team member was more than one decade older.

“You’re talking about smashing a guy that’s 50 years old? You’re boasting about beating a guy who’s 50 years of age,” Kiely said. “You’re a moron. You’re actually an idiot. I knew you were dumb. I didn’t know you were actually this stupid.

“You’re going to retire again,” Page countered.

Page fiddled with his phone as the two faced cameras on the dais. Kiely blocked the star with his outstretched thumb and then stood in front of his opponent. Invading Page’s space, it didn’t take long for things to deteriorate.

For more on Bellator 227, check out the MMA schedule.