Michael Page beats Ruziboev on decision but admits he's 'holding back' at UFC Paris

Michael Page defeated Nursulton Ruziboev by unanimous decision at UFC Paris, but the result did little to satisfy the Englishman, who admitted he held back too much during a fight that ended his current UFC contract.

Page, who built his reputation as one of MMA’s most feared knockout artists during his time in Bellator, has now collected back-to-back decision wins inside the Octagon — a pattern that clearly troubles him. Speaking in a post-fight interview, he acknowledged that feeling comfortable during a bout can actually be a warning sign.

“The frustrating thing is I feel great, which sometimes means I haven’t done enough and the results show that I haven’t done enough,” Page said. “Probably need to push myself a little bit more, take a few more risks. Sometimes I just want it to be too clean, too precise. I just feel like I’m holding back and I want to give more.”

Page believes his instinct to wait for the perfect moment to land his trademark flashy strikes is working against him, and that both the fans and the organisation deserve a more aggressive version of “Venom” going forward.

“The fans deserve more, the UFC deserves more, I know I can give more and I feel like I’m almost there,” he added.

With the win coming in the final bout of his current deal, Page’s UFC future is now an open question. The former Bellator standout made clear he wants to re-sign with the promotion, and believes he has plenty left to prove inside the Octagon. Whether the UFC shares that assessment — and on what terms — will be the next chapter for one of the sport’s most distinctive strikers.