Michael Page Leaves UFC
Dana White Confirms UFC Will Not Re-Sign Michael Page After Contract Completion
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Key Points
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Page made his UFC debut at UFC 299 in March 2024 with a decision victory over Kevin Holland. His only UFC loss came against Ian Machado Garry; his other wins were decisions over Shara Magomedov, Jared Cannonier and Sam Patterson, in addition to Ruziboev.
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A leaked UFC email instructed ranking panelists to remove Page immediately and, if they had ranked him at middleweight, to re-rank the division so it contained 15 athletes: “Michael Page has been removed from rankings eligibility effective immediately.”
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Page acknowledged after the fight that the UFC was unlikely to be satisfied with another conservative performance: “They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy with me now.” He added, “We can sign him again, but are we gonna see much more?”
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Page said he felt physically excellent despite the victory and believed that showed he had not pushed himself hard enough: “This proves I didn’t push myself to the limit, and the result reflects that.”
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Page’s UFC run followed a successful Bellator career in which he became known for his knockout-oriented style; he entered the UFC with a 26-3 professional record that included 13 knockout victories.
Michael 'Venom' Page's UFC chapter is closed. Dana White confirmed the promotion will not re-sign the 39-year-old British fighter after he completed his contract with a unanimous decision over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris. Page finished his run 5-1 in the octagon, but zero knockout victories and a cautious final performance that drew boos sealed his exit.
The UFC signaled Page's departure weeks before White's confirmation. The promotion removed him from rankings eligibility immediately after the Ruziboev fight, instructing panelists to strike his name and re-fill the middleweight division. Page arrived with a 26-3 record and 13 knockouts from his Bellator days. The UFC wanted that fighter back. Instead, they got a careful decision-maker.
Five Wins But Zero Finishes Left No Room
Page never landed a finish in six UFC bouts. His résumé reads solid on paper: wins over Kevin Holland, Shara Magomedov, Jared Cannonier, and Sam Patterson. But each was a decision. The Score noted Page's lack of stoppage power contradicted the knockout reputation he built in Bellator, where 13 of his 26 wins came by finish.
The Ruziboev bout epitomized the problem. Page won 50-45 across all three judges' scorecards, yet fans booed his low-volume approach. MMA Fighting reported Page himself acknowledged reality: 'They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy with me now.' No excitement meant no renewal, regardless of his record.
Rankings Removal Signaled the End Before White Spoke
The UFC acted swiftly after Paris. A leaked internal email instructed ranking panelists to delete Page from eligibility immediately. They were ordered to re-rank the middleweight division to include exactly 15 fighters—a clear administrative signal that Page no longer existed as part of the active roster. The formal removal preceded White's public confirmation.
This sequence matters. The UFC didn't simply demote Page; it erased him. MMA Fighting reported the promotion treated the rankings adjustment as the starting point for a contract decision already made. By the time White spoke, Page's fate was already written into the system.
Cautious Style Betrayed His Bellator Stardom
Page entered the UFC with outsized expectations. His 26-3 record and 13 knockout victories made him a striking virtuoso by Bellator standards. The promotion signed him betting his unorthodox, high-paced style would translate to star power. Instead, he fought like a careful technician. BBC noted the pattern of decisions conflicted with the explosive fighter the UFC expected.
Page knew the gap himself. After defeating Ruziboev, he felt physically fine—almost untouched. 'This proves I didn't push myself to the limit, and the result reflects that,' he said. The UFC didn't pay him to feel fine. They paid him to deliver finishes. Five decisions later, the contract expired and no renewal came.
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