Michael Page dropped from UFC rankings after contract expires at UFC Paris

Michael Page’s UFC tenure appears to be over after the promotion stripped the middleweight contender from its rankings eligibility list, just days after he completed his contract with a unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on September 5.

Longtime MMA reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFC informing ranking panelists of the decision. “Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankings eligibility effective immediately,” the email read. “If you ranked him in your middleweight division already, we ask that you please re-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes.”

The move came despite Page winning his bout, and it signals that the UFC is unlikely to offer the former Bellator standout a new deal. Page himself appeared to anticipate the outcome in his post-fight comments, acknowledging that the promotion had not been satisfied with his performances.

“They weren’t happy with me before; they’re not gonna be happy with me now,” Page said after the fight. “If I put myself in their shoes, it’s like, same thing. ‘We can sign him again, but are we gonna see much more?’”

Page, known as “Venom”, joined the UFC in 2024 and compiled a 5-1 record inside the Octagon. His only defeat came against Ian Garry. While his win-loss record is respectable, the UFC’s decision to immediately pull him from rankings eligibility — rather than wait for a contract negotiation to play out — suggests the parting of ways is effectively already decided.

The removal also drew attention to the fact that Page was not granted a post-fight interview inside the cage at UFC Paris, which observers noted as an early indicator that the promotion was not pleased with the performance.