Dana White Confirms UFC Release of Michael Page After Contract Expires

If the writing wasn’t already on the wall, it now might be etched in stone: Michael Page and the UFC are done. The 39-year-old fighter (holding a 26-3 professional record) was removed from UFC rankings eligibility on Monday following the conclusion of his promotional deal. That administrative shift followed a unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev on Saturday in Paris.

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Questions about the fighter’s future intensified immediately after the Paris card, culminating in an email sent to the UFC’s media rankings panel instructing them to remove Page from eligibility. On Tuesday, Dana White addressed a larger-than-usual media pool at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas—where reporters gathered for fight week surrounding Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn’s super-fight—and addressed the decision directly.

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“That was the last fight on his contract,” White said. “I don’t think we’re re-signing him, no. What’s the confusion? I think it’s been pretty clear he wasn’t being re-signed and that he would be taken out of the rankings because he’s no longer on the roster.”

Dana White, UFC CEO

Even prior to that development, given his lack of finishes, age, and outspokenness about UFC business practices, many fans speculated that Page’s relationship with the UFC would likely come to an end. Page confusingly ended up in the AI Meta rankings, but the CEO confirmed he is gone.

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Page, 39, rose to notoriety for his flashy finishes and wild taunts on the regional scene before he became an international name through his 19 fights for Bellator. Page went 17-2 in the promotion from 2013 to 2023 and signed with the UFC just prior to Bellator’s absorption by PFL.

In the UFC, Page went 5-1 with wins over Kevin Holland, Shara Magomedov, Jared Cannonier, Sam Patterson, and Nursulton Ruziboev. His sole promotional loss was a unanimous decision against Ian Machado Garry. His sole defeat was a razor-close decision to eventual world title contender Ian Machado Garry, which many felt he should have won. All six bouts went the distance.

Unfortunately for the Brit, his fighting style has left opponents shying away from engaging in striking exchanges. This has meant that while he racked up victories, he was unable to finish a single fight and was often criticized for being boring.

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Options and Next Steps for the Veteran Fighter

Page has repeatedly said throughout his career that he’s working to make his fighting style more exciting, even expressing those sentiments following Saturday’s bout. It’s unclear where he’ll next attempt to make that a reality. With Scott Coker’s new promotion on the verge of launch, Jake Paul and MVP getting involved with PFL, and Page’s past history of doing a one-off for BKFC, there may be some options. Michael ‘Venom’ Page vs Darren Till in BKFC? David Feldman teases British super-fight.