1 month ago
Michael Page won significantly more times than he lost in the UFC, yet it still wasn't enough to sway the promotion to keep him around after his contract expired.
The former Bellator superstar entered the UFC with plenty of fanfare in 2024, scoring a clear-cut unanimous decision win against Kevin Holland at UFC 299. Page, 39, styled on Holland in vintage fashion, utilizing his flashy striking skills to outpoint the veteran in a welterweight showdown. As it turned out, though, finishes — or even similarly entertaining performances — failed to materialize in Page's subsequent five UFC appearances.
Despite winning four straight fights, capped off by his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris, the promotion opted not to re-sign Page without even having a discussion.
Speaking on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Page vented his frustrations, saying he felt disrespected by the entire close to his UFC run.
"I had goals to achieve, so regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay," Page told Uncrowned. "That's the premise of this game. Success should breed more opportunities. So, I still felt like we'd sit down at the table.
#holland #winning #fights
The former Bellator superstar entered the UFC with plenty of fanfare in 2024, scoring a clear-cut unanimous decision win against Kevin Holland at UFC 299. Page, 39, styled on Holland in vintage fashion, utilizing his flashy striking skills to outpoint the veteran in a welterweight showdown. As it turned out, though, finishes — or even similarly entertaining performances — failed to materialize in Page's subsequent five UFC appearances.
Despite winning four straight fights, capped off by his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris, the promotion opted not to re-sign Page without even having a discussion.
Speaking on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Page vented his frustrations, saying he felt disrespected by the entire close to his UFC run.
"I had goals to achieve, so regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay," Page told Uncrowned. "That's the premise of this game. Success should breed more opportunities. So, I still felt like we'd sit down at the table.
#holland #winning #fights
2 months ago
MichaelPage may have reached the end of his Ultimate Fighting Championship run.
Page completed his current UFC contract with a unanimous decisionwin over NursultonRuziboev at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. Despite the victory, the former Bellatorstandout has now been removed from the promotion's latest round ofrankings eligibility, according to an email sent to rankingpanelists.
Longtime mixed martial arts reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFCregarding the latest round of ranking updates.
"Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankingseligibility effective immediately," the email read. "If you rankedhim in your middleweight division already, we ask that you pleasere-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes."
This comes after Page himself acknowledged that he may not beoffered another UFC contract after another lackluster decisionwin.
"They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy withme now," Page said following the fight. "If I put myself in theirshoes, it's like, same thing. 'We can sign him again, but are wegonna see much more?'"
Page joined the UFC in 2024 and has gone 5-1 inside the Octagon,with his only defeat coming against IanGarry.
#email #happy #michaelpage
Page completed his current UFC contract with a unanimous decisionwin over NursultonRuziboev at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. Despite the victory, the former Bellatorstandout has now been removed from the promotion's latest round ofrankings eligibility, according to an email sent to rankingpanelists.
Longtime mixed martial arts reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFCregarding the latest round of ranking updates.
"Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankingseligibility effective immediately," the email read. "If you rankedhim in your middleweight division already, we ask that you pleasere-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes."
This comes after Page himself acknowledged that he may not beoffered another UFC contract after another lackluster decisionwin.
"They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy withme now," Page said following the fight. "If I put myself in theirshoes, it's like, same thing. 'We can sign him again, but are wegonna see much more?'"
Page joined the UFC in 2024 and has gone 5-1 inside the Octagon,with his only defeat coming against IanGarry.
#email #happy #michaelpage
2 months ago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is live THIS AFTERNOON (Sat., Sept. 5, 2026) with UFC Paris, streaming live online via Paramount+. The event happens at Accor Arena in Paris, France, featuring a special Octagon newcomer in the main event.
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Dan Hooker is our main event, going down in the Lightweight division. Parnasse is a long-time former KSW champion who made a big splash with his one and done appearance at MVP MMA. The reason he was done there was because UFC wanted to poach him out of that fledgling promotion before he drew too many serious mixed martial arts (MMA) fans over to it. Hooker comes into this one off two losses and looking very much like a sacrificial lamb. However, as last week taught us, -600 odds can be overcome.
The co-main is an all French affair, in the Featherweight division, with Fares Ziam meeting Axel Sola. Both of these guys are action fighters known for putting on a show. They should get the crowd roaring in Paris, even if it's not obvious to the locals whom they should be cheering for.
Rounding out the main card is Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano, Kurtis Campbell vs. Trevor Peek and Losene Keita vs. Muhammad Naimov. Page might be trying to fight out of his UFC contract here, which is the reason UFC has pared him with a big, rangy striker who can also make you quit on the ground.
The featured "Prelim" is Morgan Charriere vs. Felipe Lima. The undercard also boasts Mario Pinto vs. Ryan Spann, Oumar Sy vs. Modestas Bukauskas and Nathaniel Wood against late replacement Pavel Andrusca. Further down the card we have Michael Aljarouj vs. Fabia Sintes, Nora Cornolle vs. Klaudia Sygula, Matthieu Duclos vs. Lucas Felipe Dias and Delphine Benouaich vs. Sofia Montenegro to make up the numbers. Aljarouj does look like an intriguing prospect, though.
#Paris #main #Event
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Dan Hooker is our main event, going down in the Lightweight division. Parnasse is a long-time former KSW champion who made a big splash with his one and done appearance at MVP MMA. The reason he was done there was because UFC wanted to poach him out of that fledgling promotion before he drew too many serious mixed martial arts (MMA) fans over to it. Hooker comes into this one off two losses and looking very much like a sacrificial lamb. However, as last week taught us, -600 odds can be overcome.
The co-main is an all French affair, in the Featherweight division, with Fares Ziam meeting Axel Sola. Both of these guys are action fighters known for putting on a show. They should get the crowd roaring in Paris, even if it's not obvious to the locals whom they should be cheering for.
Rounding out the main card is Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano, Kurtis Campbell vs. Trevor Peek and Losene Keita vs. Muhammad Naimov. Page might be trying to fight out of his UFC contract here, which is the reason UFC has pared him with a big, rangy striker who can also make you quit on the ground.
The featured "Prelim" is Morgan Charriere vs. Felipe Lima. The undercard also boasts Mario Pinto vs. Ryan Spann, Oumar Sy vs. Modestas Bukauskas and Nathaniel Wood against late replacement Pavel Andrusca. Further down the card we have Michael Aljarouj vs. Fabia Sintes, Nora Cornolle vs. Klaudia Sygula, Matthieu Duclos vs. Lucas Felipe Dias and Delphine Benouaich vs. Sofia Montenegro to make up the numbers. Aljarouj does look like an intriguing prospect, though.
#Paris #main #Event
2 months ago
The hours are quickly winding down to UFC Fight Night 287 which marks the promotion's fourth-annual stop in Paris.
It will be a big night in France, with local favorite and former KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse (23-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) set to make his octagon debut in the main event when he tests his skills against the self-proclaimed "gatekeeper to the top 10" at lightweight in Dan Hooker (24-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC).
The critical five-round showdown at 155 pounds is grabbing most of the attention, but there's plenty more going on during Saturday's card at Accor Arena (Paramount+), particularly the potential UFC finale of Michael Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who fights the last bout of his contract in a middleweight featured contest against Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC).
The help prepare for the card, MMA Junkie reporters Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun will preview the top storylines, angles and more before UFC Fight Night 287.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC Paris live preview show with Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn
#night #hannoun #preview
It will be a big night in France, with local favorite and former KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse (23-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) set to make his octagon debut in the main event when he tests his skills against the self-proclaimed "gatekeeper to the top 10" at lightweight in Dan Hooker (24-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC).
The critical five-round showdown at 155 pounds is grabbing most of the attention, but there's plenty more going on during Saturday's card at Accor Arena (Paramount+), particularly the potential UFC finale of Michael Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who fights the last bout of his contract in a middleweight featured contest against Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC).
The help prepare for the card, MMA Junkie reporters Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun will preview the top storylines, angles and more before UFC Fight Night 287.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC Paris live preview show with Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn
#night #hannoun #preview
2 months ago
Michael 'Venom' Page will fight the final bout on his UFC contract when he takes on Nursulton Ruziboev in Paris on Saturday.
The 39-year-old has had a mixed career in the octagon since joining in 2024, with four wins from five fights - and all his victories by decision.
Known for his eye-catching striking, MVP admits he has underperformed in his UFC tenure without a stoppage to his name.
"I'm still buzzing to be in this game, but then there's also [the fact] I feel like I haven't delivered what I wanted to deliver," Page said.
"We (Page and the UFC) don't seem to be as aligned as I thought we would be.
#nursulton #fight
The 39-year-old has had a mixed career in the octagon since joining in 2024, with four wins from five fights - and all his victories by decision.
Known for his eye-catching striking, MVP admits he has underperformed in his UFC tenure without a stoppage to his name.
"I'm still buzzing to be in this game, but then there's also [the fact] I feel like I haven't delivered what I wanted to deliver," Page said.
"We (Page and the UFC) don't seem to be as aligned as I thought we would be.
#nursulton #fight
4 months ago
Michael Page will move back up to middleweight at UFC Fight Night 287.
Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena in Paris, France, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning.
Since suffering his first octagon loss to Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout in May 2014, Ruziboev returned to 185 pounds to notch three-straight wins. He is coming off a first-round submission of Andrey Pulyaev at UFC Fight Night 280 in June.
Page is also riding a three-fight win streak, with wins over Shara Magomedov, former ***** le challenger Jared Cannonier, and most recently a lackluster decision win over Sam Patterson in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 270 in March.
Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena in Paris, France, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning.
Since suffering his first octagon loss to Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout in May 2014, Ruziboev returned to 185 pounds to notch three-straight wins. He is coming off a first-round submission of Andrey Pulyaev at UFC Fight Night 280 in June.
Page is also riding a three-fight win streak, with wins over Shara Magomedov, former ***** le challenger Jared Cannonier, and most recently a lackluster decision win over Sam Patterson in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 270 in March.
Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
4 months ago
Nursulton Ruziboev made a big return to the Octagon earlier today earlier today (Sat., June 27, 2026) at UFC Baku LIVE on Paramount+ from inside National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, as the middleweight fighter put a violent stop to Andrey Pulyaev with a first-round submission (rear-naked choke).
Ruziboev, who was making his first Octagon appearance since May 2025, came into Saturday's "Prelims" tilt a betting favorite. Despite the long layoff, Ruziboev entered UFC Baku with a 4-1 UFC record with three finishes. He was the one who was expected to push the pace and force Pulyaev into uncomfortable positions.
Unfortunately for Pulyaev, he was on the defensive from the opening bell. After a brief standup period, Ruziboev changed levels and scored a slick takedown to gain back control. Pulyaev isn't known for his grappling skills and it showed. Ruziboev was able to act quickly and eventually locked up a rear-naked choke. Pulyaev refused to tap so Ruziboev gladly put him to sleep. It was pretty nasty.
Check out the video highlights below:
Ruziboev, 32, is now 5-1 as a member of the UFC roster. His only Octagon loss came at the hands of Joaquin Buckley back in 2024. That's not too shabby. "Black" should have another chance to capture one more win before the end of the year and then from there it's an attack on the middleweight top 15
Ruziboev, who was making his first Octagon appearance since May 2025, came into Saturday's "Prelims" tilt a betting favorite. Despite the long layoff, Ruziboev entered UFC Baku with a 4-1 UFC record with three finishes. He was the one who was expected to push the pace and force Pulyaev into uncomfortable positions.
Unfortunately for Pulyaev, he was on the defensive from the opening bell. After a brief standup period, Ruziboev changed levels and scored a slick takedown to gain back control. Pulyaev isn't known for his grappling skills and it showed. Ruziboev was able to act quickly and eventually locked up a rear-naked choke. Pulyaev refused to tap so Ruziboev gladly put him to sleep. It was pretty nasty.
Check out the video highlights below:
Ruziboev, 32, is now 5-1 as a member of the UFC roster. His only Octagon loss came at the hands of Joaquin Buckley back in 2024. That's not too shabby. "Black" should have another chance to capture one more win before the end of the year and then from there it's an attack on the middleweight top 15
