Whittaker calls Page the UFC's best point-fighter but admits he's hard to watch

Robert Whittaker has hailed Michael Page as arguably the finest point-fighter in the UFC, yet admitted on the MMArcade Podcast that he could barely bring himself to watch the Englishman’s unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris — the final fight of Page’s UFC contract.

“I’m going to be honest with you, no. I can’t, because I didn’t even want to watch it, and I have nothing but respect for MVP,” Whittaker said. “His ability to do what he does at his age is crazy. It’s like he’s dancing in there. He’s so fast and fluid.”

The former UFC middleweight champion was quick to separate his personal viewing experience from any criticism of Page’s ability. For Whittaker, the difficulty lies precisely in how effective the 37-year-old former Bellator standout is at managing a fight on the judges’ scorecards.

“I reckon there isn’t a single person that can beat MVP over point-sparring in the UFC. He’s so good at it,” Whittaker added. “I feel like it’s almost like he has a live feed of the judges’ scorecards, like, in real time. As soon as it starts to drop, he just does a little bit more and it goes back up. He just does enough.”

Whittaker also acknowledged the calculated logic behind Page’s conservative approach, noting that abandoning it could carry serious consequences. “He could go out next fight, listen to our comments, and go out there and just start throwing hands, get starched, cut, and that’s it,” he said. “He definitely is a puzzle for a lot of fighters. He’s not fun to fight for anyone.”

Despite the win in Paris, Page was subsequently removed from the UFC middleweight rankings and is now set to enter free agency, leaving his next move uncertain.