Michael ‘Venom’ Page wants to get back on the same page with the UFC, and beating up Nursulton Ruziboev is the way to do that.
This Saturday, ‘MVP’ takes on Ruziboev in the featured bout of UFC Paris. It’s the final fight on Page’s UFC contract, and heading into the contest, there’s been rampant speculation about his future with the promotion, in large part because Page’s run with the UFC has underwhelmed, which even the 39-year-old admits.
“There’s so much left for me to do,” Page said at UFC Paris Media Day (h/t Emiel Sardarean). “I’m excited to do it. I’m still buzzing to be in this game, but then there’s also — I feel like I haven’t delivered what I wanted to deliver. And like you said, we don’t seem to be as aligned as I thought we would be. Maybe at the beginning I felt like we were; something’s changed. But either way, the goal is [to] keep stepping out there and kicking people in the face.”
Page’s UFC tenure has been one of the more curious runs for a star in recent years. The viral sensation signed with the promotion in 2023 and was immediately given a big opportunity against fan-favorite Kevin Holland. But after losing to Ian Machado Garry in his next fight, the UFC seemed to lose interest in Page.
He took two fights at 185 pounds, beating Shara Bullet and ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier, before then dropping back down to fight unranked welterweight Sam Patterson in March. Now Page is again fighting an unranked welterweight, leading many to wonder what the UFC’s plan is for MVP. But Page isn’t focused on that; he’s focused on putting on the kind of performance that got the UFC interested in him initially.
“Everyone always remembers the last performance, so this performance is key to do exceptionally well for all of the above, but for me personally, it’s specifically to remind the UFC why they brought me to this organization,” Page said. “And then remind the world as well; remind the fans, ‘Oh yeah, MVP can do this!’ Get them excited about seeing me again. …
“This fight is important to reestablish myself with the UFC,” Page continued later. “Then sit down with them and say, ‘OK, guys, can I have an idea of what you expect of me? Can I have an idea of what direction is best for me to work towards? Can I have an idea of what it is that you guys need from me?’ And then we get to work. I’m happy to — I prefer if I have targets, and I have an idea of what I’m supposed to do, then I go and attack it.”
UFC Paris takes place this Saturday at Accor Arena and is headlined by a lightweight showdown between Dan Hooker and Salahdine Parnasse.
