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Irish fan favourite Richard Kiely faces his toughest career test when he takes on British MMA star Michael 'Venom' Page in the co-main event of Bellator Dublin later this year.

Mirror Sport can exclusively reveal that the pair will settle their social media feud inside the cage on September 27th at the 3 Arena in a massive fight just under the headliner where James Gallagher fight Cal Ellenor.

Kiely, who fights out of SBG Ireland, revealed that he plans on taking MVP's spot as 'poster boy' for the promotion, telling Mirror Sport it's 'the biggest fight of his career'.

"I know for a fact that he [MVP] doesn't realise what he's got himself into," Kiely said when asked about their contrasting records.

London-based fighter Page is 14-1 to the Dubliner's 3-1.

"When this fight happens and I knock him out, I'm going to shock the MMA world and take his place.

"I've said since I started in this promotion that I am the face of Bellator, and this is going to prove it.

"He's the poster boy for Bellator so he's getting knocked out and they're getting a much, much more handsome face for their company."

(Image: ©INPHO/Gary Carr)

And the Tallaght man isn't concerned about the massive underdog tag he will be saddled with going into a bout with a man whose only pro loss in 15 fights is to veteran Douglas Lima.

He has known this feeling before, with bookies favoring Daniel Olejniczak before his knockout win at BAMMA 30 as well as when, after just two pro fights, he took on then 12-1 champion Alex Lohore at BAMMA 32.

"I was underdog in my first two fights against Daniel and Keith McCabe and I knocked them both out and made it look easy.

"I don't even consider the Alex Lohore fight a loss because I went in there with a well-documented very serious injury, I was basically on one leg and an injury defeated me, not Alex.

"I've fought people like Michael 'Vagina' Page in kickboxing for many's a year. I'm the best-equipped fighter in Bellator to be able to beat this guy and as far as people underestimating me? Let them!

"He, the fans, whoever, can underestimate me all they want which will just make it all the more shocking when I knock him out, and I'll be dishing out the 'I told you so's to everyone as I sit on top of the cage looking very smug and he's stiff on the ground."

In terms of both skill, and attention, this will prove the biggest step up in Kiely's MMA career; MVP boasts almost a million combined social media followers and wins in the cage over veterans like Paul Daley and David Rickels.

In contrast the John Kavanagh-trained striker was surprisingly featured on the prelims at Bellator's last Dublin event against relative unknown Mickael Bucher and was set for another early fight against Galore Bofando in London last month before being forced out with injury.

"I don't know what's going on, I'm like the renegade of Bellator MMA, but whether you like me or dislike me, I'm bringing knockouts and moving the needle in terms of crowd reaction.

(Image: ©INPHO/Gary Carr)

"You heard it at my walkout at the show in February, or when I main evented the BAMMA 32 card in Dublin.

"I was only on the preliminary card the last time, people were only coming into the building and getting warmed up but as soon as I walked in the roof nearly came off the place.

"I'm going to take his spot, like I said, and then the promotion will have no choice but to put me in big fights, against big names, in main and co-main events not just here but in the States.

"It's happened before in BAMMA that after two fights I was going for the world title, and after I beat this guy, it's not inconceivable that I could do that again in Bellator."

Mirror Sport understands that the pair are expected to come face-to-face for the first time at a press conference in Dublin on Tuesday afternoon.

Tickets for Bellator Dublin are now available to purchase through Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com, as well as the 3Arena box office.

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