Michael “Venom” Page’s UFC chapter appears to be over despite the 39-year-old finishing his promotional run with an impressive 5-1 record.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday that the promotion does not plan to re-sign Page after he completed his contract with a unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev in Paris on Saturday.
Page was removed from the UFC rankings on Monday, immediately sparking speculation that his time with the promotion had come to an end.
White was blunt when asked about Page’s status.
“That was the last fight on his contract,” White said. “I don’t think we’re re-signing him, no.”
When asked about Page’s removal from the rankings, White added: “What’s the confusion? I think it’s been pretty clear he wasn’t being re-signed and that he would be taken out of the rankings because he’s no longer on the roster.”
The decision is notable given Page’s record inside the Octagon. He defeated Kevin Holland, Shara Magomedov, Jared Cannonier, Sam Patterson and Ruziboev, with his only UFC loss coming against Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision.
However, Page’s UFC run was missing one element that helped make him a star during his decade with Bellator: finishes.
All six of his UFC fights went to the judges’ scorecards. While Page consistently demonstrated that his unorthodox striking could compete against high-level opposition, he never delivered the spectacular knockout that many expected when he joined the promotion.
Age could also have played a role. At 39, Page has a shorter competitive window than most fighters the UFC would consider investing in for the long term.
Page has also been open about wanting to produce more exciting performances and reiterated that desire after his victory over Ruziboev.
Despite the UFC moving on, Page could be an intriguing name on the free-agent market. His reputation, unique fighting style and experience at the highest level could attract interest from several promotions.
A return to the wider MMA landscape could even reunite him with former Bellator president Scott Coker, who played a major role in Page’s rise and is preparing to launch a new combat sports promotion.
The PFL could also be an option given Page’s Bellator connections, while another crossover venture cannot be ruled out. Page previously competed in bare-knuckle boxing against Mike Perry under BKFC in 2022, losing by majority decision.
With his UFC contract now complete, Page appears to have plenty of options — whether he chooses MMA, boxing, bare-knuckle competition or a combination of them.
For the first time since leaving Bellator, “Venom” Page will seemingly have complete freedom to decide what comes next.
