Andalusia native wins amateur fighting title in England

Andalusia native Cameron Page won the Fighter Source’s MMA World Challenge Championship in the 125 weight class recently in Leicester, England.

Page, along with teammate, Chris Francis of Crestview, Fla., claimed the title in the amateur fighting event that took a long, hard road to get to.

“Man, it was just an awesome feeling,” Page said when he won the title. “You work out five or six days a week, and every week you put your body through all of this torment and then it’s pretty much three or four months of hard training for one night.

“That one night makes or breaks you,” he said. “When you put it all together and you put everything out, and get that ‘W,’ there isn’t no greater feeling; there isn’t no greater feeling than having your hand raised.”

Page got a second-round knockout after getting his opponent from the United Kingdom on the mat. Francis also won in his weight class.

In fact, Page and Francis were the only fighters to make Team USA, which carried nine over the pond, for the tournament.

“There were people who fought from Chicago, Syracuse, Nashville, New York City, California, Denver (Colorado) and Texas,” Page said.

Page and Francis, who train out of a gym in Ft. Walton Beach, had to fight their way to make it onto Team USA for the World Challenge. They joined the Miami Punch and traveled all over the United States starting last year.

Every fight Page competed in, his task was to win nationals to get a spot on the USA’s team that would go to the tournament he would later win.

“Once you win the nationals, you make team USA,” Page said.

On a quick turnaround, Page and Francis found themselves on a flight from Ft. Walton to Leicester on Sept. 21.

Weigh ins for the World Challenge were held on that Friday and the fights took place the following day.

Page describes himself as more of a striker in the ring, but will wrestle with his opponents if he has to.

Now that he’s back from winning the amateur event, Page said the next step is to go pro.

“That’s pretty much what’s going to happen,” he said about his pro status. “I have to take one more amateur fight, but I’m going pro soon.”

When asked why he chose fighting as his sport and what will soon be a career, Page said MMA is the only sport one gets out of what you put in.

“I grew up watching ninja turtles and power rangers,” he said. “I’ve always been into karate. I was just always interested in watching martial arts movies and Bruce Lee. I always like doing a sport you always get back what you put in. It’s all on you. As much as you put in is what you get back.”

Page graduated from PHS in 2006. He attended LBWCC and then Troy. He is the son of Jo Ann and Ricky Page.