Michael “Venom” Page promised something spectacular would happen in his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on Saturday, but instead it felt like another predictably lackluster outing.
Page got the job done with a unanimous decision victory, but he also only landed 12 significant strikes across three rounds. He didn’t put Ruziboev down one time during the 15-minute fight, and the crowd in Paris was anything but satisfied with his performance. Considering he was competing on the final fight his current UFC contract, Page had to know the pressure was ratcheted up for his latest performance and he acknowledged afterwards that he didn’t live up to his own expectations.
“The frustrating thing is I feel great,” Page said in a post-fight interview with UFC. “Sometimes, I haven’t done enough and the results show that I haven’t done enough. I probably need to push myself a little bit more, take a few more risks. Sometimes I want it to be too clean, too just precise. I just know to myself, I know there’s more and it’s frustrating as I get to the cage, I feel like I’m holding back.
“I want to give more. The fans deserve more, the UFC deserves more. I know I can give more. I feel like I’m almost there.”
Being “almost there” as Page turned 39 years old back in April is a dubious distinction for a fighter who built his reputation on delivering dazzling knockouts and showcasing the kind of creativity that made him one of the most exciting fighters in the world.
But through six UFC fights thus far, Page has failed to earn a single finish, and he’s faced far more criticism for his performances than any kind of praise despite putting together a 5-1 record.
“I’m going to have to doctor my style a little bit more,” Page said. “Maybe adapt it so people feel more comfortable coming forward and that also might make me slightly less dangerous but maybe over volume, I’ll still get it. I’ve got to go back to the drawing board.
“I don’t know the exact answer. Go back to the drawing board, test it out when I’m sparring and see what happens.”
With his UFC contract completed, Page now has to sit down with the matchmakers and executives at the promotion and find out if they want him back or not.
At his best, Page is absolutely a top 15 fighter but his entertainment value has plummeted with his recent performances. Page isn’t oblivious to the boos from the crowd and he knows he has to do a lot more in his fights if he wants bigger and better opportunities.
“I’ll sit down with the UFC and have an honest conversation,” Page said. “Look, I know I can do better. I’m aspiring to do better. Give me better opponents and have faith I can go deliver something special for the crowd.”
Whether or not the UFC believes what Page is selling is a whole other story and only time will tell if the organization makes him an offer for a new deal or the two sides just part ways and “MVP” becomes a free agent heading into 2027.
