Michael Page Out; Fernando Gonzalez to Face Gilbert Smith at Bellator 151

Tristen CritchfieldFeb 09, 2016

Flamboyant knockout artist Michael Page will not compete at Bellator 151 against Fernando Gonzalez.

Bellator officials confirmed Page’s withdrawal to Sherdog.com on Tuesday following an initial report from MMAJunkie.com. Gonzalez will instead lock horns with former RFA champion Gilbert Smith at the March 4 event, which takes place at Winstar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla.

Bellator 151 is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Joe Warren and Darrion Caldwell, with the main card airing on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The promotion also confirmed that the evening’s main draw will include a bantamweight clash pitting two-time UFC veteran Sirwan Kakai against Joe Taimanglo.

A member of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” cast, Smith captured RFA gold with a third-round submission of Benjamin Smith last June. He then defended the belt with a fourth-round technical knockout win over Bristol Marunde at RFA 31.

Gonzalez enters the matchup on a four-fight winning streak, including a third-round submission of Curtis Millender in his most recent outing at Bellator 137. “The Menifee Maniac” also owns triumphs over Marius Zaromskis, Karo Parisyan and Karl Amoussou under the Bellator banner.