LONDON – Bellator welterweight David Rickels would like to invite Michael Page to his first real MMA fight.

“Venom” Page (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) might be making his ninth appearance for the Viacom-owned promotion, but Rickels (19-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) said he has yet to face real opposition.

“It’s definitely been easy – easier,” Rickels told MMAjunkie in advance of their Paramount-televised headliner at The SSE Arena in London. “There’s just a point where you’ve got to step up to championship caliber. I think that this is the transition.

“He boxed a 2-11 boxer, and Fernando Gonzalez was by far his toughest competition. It’s just time. Let’s see what he can do.”

Rickels is down to find out if Page is the real deal. No fighter has been able to stop the flashy strikes “Venom” unleashes in the cage, and Rickels figures he could encounter some things he’s never dealt with in a fight.

“‘MVP’ is super talented,” Rickels said. “I’ve been fighting forever, man, (and) I’ve seen a lot of (expletive). I’ve never seen anybody snake-dance fight in the ring. So this will be different in that aspect.”

But the thing is, Rickels believes in the end that he’s got a wealth of experience in all aspects of MMA, and that’s where Page falls short. Not only that, but all the pressure is on Page to deliver a performance that justifies his hype.

“He might have the nerves,” Rickels said. “He’s in London. The pressure’s on him, son. I’m telling you right now, there ain’t no pressure on me. This is a vacation.”

Soon, he’ll find out whether it’s the kind of vacation that ends happily, or one where you just can’t wait to get home.

For more on Bellator 200, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.