Michael Page has spoken out against the UFC after the promotion declined to re-sign him following his unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night 287, ending his run with a 5-1 record under the banner. Page said he expected at minimum a conversation about a new deal and learned he had been cut only when he was removed from the UFC rankings — the same way the news broke publicly. He also criticised the organisation for denying him a post-fight interview for the second consecutive bout, calling the overall handling of his departure "quite disrespectful."
Michael Page has gone public with sharp criticism of the UFC after the promotion chose not to re-sign him following his unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night 287, bringing his tenure with the organisation to a close.
Page, known as "Venom," finished his UFC run with a 5-1 record under the banner, adding to an overall professional mark of 26 wins and 3 losses. The 39-year-old Englishman, who trains out of London Shootfighters, is a six-foot-three welterweight with a 79-inch reach and has built his reputation on sharp, unorthodox striking from a switch stance — landing significant strikes at a rate of 2.04 per minute with a striking accuracy of 56 percent, among the higher marks in the division.
His opponent in that final bout, Nursulton Ruziboev, is a 32-year-old Uzbek fighter representing UZB Patriot. Standing six-foot-five with a 76-inch reach, Ruziboev carries a record of 37 wins, 10 losses, and 2 draws, and averages 1.52 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.91 significant strikes landed per minute.
Page says he only discovered he had been released when he was quietly removed from the UFC rankings — the same moment the news became public. He stated he expected at least a conversation about a new contract and described finding out this way as "quite disrespectful." He also took aim at the UFC for denying him a post-fight interview following the Ruziboev bout, noting it was the second consecutive time that opportunity had been withheld from him.
Why it matters
- Page exits with a winning UFC record, leaving questions about where a 39-year-old welterweight with elite striking finds his next home
- The ranking removal as the sole notice raises broader questions about how the UFC communicates roster decisions to fighters
- Denying post-fight interviews on back-to-back occasions adds a second, separate grievance to Page's public account of the split
