Michael Page slams UFC's 'disrespectful' exit after five-win run ends without a new deal

Michael Page has publicly condemned the UFC’s handling of his release, calling it ‘disrespectful’ after finishing his contract on a four-fight win streak and receiving no offer of renewed negotiations.

Page (26-3) completed his UFC deal with a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris. Following the bout, he was denied a post-fight Octagon interview, removed from the official UFC rankings, and UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the promotion would not be extending his contract.

“I had goals to achieve and regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay,” Page told Ariel Helwani. “That’s the premise of this game — success should breed more opportunities. So, I still felt like we’ll sit down at the table. I felt what may happen is they just say, ‘Look, we can re-sign you, but it’s going to be a lot less,’ and we work from there. But I wouldn’t have expected it to be dealt with in the way that it was dealt with. I found that quite disrespectful, to be fair.”

Page, nicknamed ‘Venom’, built his reputation on highlight-reel knockouts during a lengthy stint in Bellator MMA. He joined the UFC in 2023 after Bellator was acquired by the Professional Fighters League, but his flashy, distance-based style drew sustained criticism inside the Octagon. He failed to record a single finish across his six UFC appearances, with fans and pundits repeatedly calling out his point-fighting approach.

The denial of a post-fight microphone was a particular source of frustration for Page, who noted it was the second time the UFC had refused him an Octagon interview. He argued the promotion had even less justification for the decision given they already knew he was being released.

“You’ve seen fights that have been absolutely terrible and they still get to go on the mic and say their piece,” Page said. “This is the second time it’s happened to me. I feel like, especially if you knew you weren’t going to re-sign me, what was the harm in even allowing me to speak to my fans, speak to the Paris crowd who are amazing? I don’t understand who makes those calls.”

With his UFC tenure now over, Page enters free agency having gone 5-1 in the promotion — a record that, in his view, warranted at least a conversation about his future rather than a quiet exit.