Joe Rogan, a celebrated commentator and interviewer for the UFC since 1997, recently shared his experience with the most horrific injury he has witnessed during his extensive career in mixed martial arts. After nearly three decades of observing countless knockouts, submissions, and unusual incidents in the sport, one particular event, which occurred at a Bellator show in July 2016, left an indelible mark.
Michael `Venom` Page Inflicts Devastating Skull Injury
This unforgettable incident involved Michael `Venom` Page delivering a devastating flying knee that fractured the skull of MMA veteran Evangelista `Cyborg` Santos at Bellator 158. Following the impactful blow, Page celebrated somewhat insensitively with a Pokémon ball, seemingly unaware of the severe damage inflicted upon Santos, who lay on the canvas in agony. The gruesome injury left Santos with a visible indentation in his forehead and ultimately marked the end of his professional fighting career.
A widely circulated image of Santos`s skull vividly illustrates the catastrophic damage caused by Page`s single knee strike, a moment that continues to be discussed in MMA circles.
During a recent appearance by Page on his podcast, Joe Rogan described the injury as, “That’s the most gruesome injury I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of broken bones, but I’ve never seen someone with a caved-in head.”
Page further clarified the medical professionals` bewilderment: “The doctors were saying that they’ve only ever seen that in a car accident, never in MMA.”
Rogan reinforced the severity, noting, “That is so crazy. And that was his last fight. The doctor’s like, ‘Hey, that’s a rap.’ It sounds like a baseball bat on a pumpkin… That was a bad one.”
Michael `Venom` Page`s Impressive UFC Journey
After concluding his successful run with Bellator, Michael Page transitioned to the UFC in 2024. Since then, the 38-year-old kickboxer has built an impressive 3-1 record within the Octagon against high-caliber opponents.
Page made a strong welterweight debut, securing a clear decision victory over Kevin Holland across three rounds. His momentum faced a setback with a decision loss to Ian Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024, a fight where Garry strategically employed a wrestling-heavy approach. Undeterred, `MVP` then moved up to the middleweight division, where he notably became the first fighter to defeat Shara Magomedov. In his most recent bout at UFC 319 in August, Page overcame a critical mistake to defeat veteran Jared Cannonier.
As of late 2025, Page`s immediate future in the UFC remains a topic of speculation. The timeline for his next fight, his opponent, and whether he will continue competing at middleweight or return to welterweight are yet to be determined.
