Michael 'Venom' Page has attracted his first post-UFC callout after reports emerged that he is set to leave the promotion following his contract-closing win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris. Former UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson publicly called out Page, describing the pair as 'two free agents.' Brunson, who has been a free agent since a brief PFL stint, is among the big-name options potentially available to Page should he not re-sign with the UFC.
Michael "Venom" Page has barely stepped out of the Octagon in Paris before the callouts have started, with veteran middleweight Derek Brunson publicly putting his name forward as a potential opponent should Page leave the UFC following his contract-closing win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris.
Page, 39, carries a 26-3-0 professional record into free agency and currently sits at number 15 in the UFC middleweight rankings. The six-foot-three Englishman, who trains out of London Shootfighters, has built his reputation on unorthodox striking and elite reach — his 79-inch wingspan and a 58 percent striking accuracy mark him as one of the more technically precise fighters in the division. He completes that picture by averaging 2.28 significant strikes per minute while attempting virtually no takedowns or submissions, making him a pure stand-up threat.
Brunson, 42, framed the potential matchup by describing the two men as "two free agents," positioning himself as a natural dance partner. The American southpaw from Kill Cliff FC holds a 23-9-0 record and has long been a fixture near the top of the middleweight division. Standing six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach, Brunson offers a sharply contrasting style: he averages 3.51 significant strikes per minute and adds a credible wrestling threat, averaging 3.14 takedown attempts per 15 minutes and 0.6 submission attempts in the same window, following a brief PFL stint since last competing under the UFC banner.
Why it matters
- Page's reported UFC departure opens a rare window for high-profile free-agent matchmaking outside the promotion
- A Brunson bout would pit Page's precision kickboxing against one of the division's most aggressive pressure fighters and takedown artists
- Both men carry enough name value to headline or co-headline an event for any major promotion willing to move quickly
