Michael Page faces streaking Ruziboev as UFC Paris card takes shape

Michael Page will make his return to the Octagon at UFC Paris on 5 September, where the Englishman has been matched against surging Uzbek middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev at Accor Arena in Paris, France.

Page carries a 25-3 professional record and sits at 4-1 inside the UFC, currently riding a three-fight winning streak. Despite that run of form, “Venom” has drawn criticism for the perceived lack of excitement in his recent performances. His opponent, Ruziboev, presents a stern test: the Uzbek is 37-9 overall and 5-1 in the UFC, with four of those victories coming by way of finish. He, too, enters on a three-fight winning streak, making this a compelling middleweight collision between two fighters in form.

The card is stacked with European interest. Undefeated Portuguese heavyweight prospect Mario Pinto (12-0) takes on knockout specialist Ryan Spann (24-11). Pinto earned his UFC contract with a first-round knockout on the Contender Series in 2024 and has since finished two of his three UFC bouts. Spann, nicknamed “Superman”, has gone to the judges only six times in 35 career fights and arrives on back-to-back wins with a 10-6 UFC record.

Belgium’s Losene Keita (16-2) meets Tajikistan’s Muhammadjon Naimov (13-4) at featherweight. Keita dropped a split-decision debut against Nathaniel Wood in March, while Naimov is 5-2 in the UFC and coming off a knockout loss to Mairon Santos.

French light heavyweight Oumar Sy (12-2) will fight in front of a home crowd when he faces Lithuanian veteran Modestas Bukauskas (20-7). Sy, once regarded as a finishing machine upon his UFC arrival in 2024, has gone 3-2 in the promotion and is bouncing back from a submission upset loss to Ion Cutelaba. Bukauskas is 7-2 in his second UFC stint since 2023, most recently earning a split-decision win over Christian Edwards.

Rounding out the announced bouts, French featherweight Nora Cornolle (9-4) looks to end a two-fight losing run when she faces Poland’s Klaudia Sygula (8-2), who has won two straight since a knockout defeat in her own UFC debut in 2024.

UFC Paris takes place on 5 September at Accor Arena.