Dana White confirms UFC will not re-sign Michael 'Venom' Page
Dana White has confirmed the UFC is not re-signing Michael 'Venom' Page, who closed out his six-fight deal in Paris with a 5-1 promotional record.
Michael "Venom" Page is off the UFC roster. Chief executive Dana White confirmed on Tuesday, 8 September, that the promotion will not renew the 39-year-old Briton's deal, three days after Page fought out the last bout of his contract in Paris.
"That was his last fight on his contract. I don't think we're signing him, no," White told reporters after Tuesday night's Contender Series show. Asked why there was any doubt about it, he said he could not see where the confusion came from, arguing it had been clear for some time that Page was not being re-signed.
Page joined the UFC in December 2023 on a six-fight deal after a long Bellator run in which he became one of that promotion's most recognisable finishers and challenged for a title. He leaves with a 5-1 UFC record and no stoppages: all five wins came on the judges' scorecards.
His six UFC fights
- UFC 299, 9 March 2024 — beat Kevin Holland, unanimous decision
- UFC 303, 29 June 2024 — lost to Ian Machado Garry, unanimous decision
- 1 February 2025 — beat Shara Magomedov, unanimous decision
- UFC 319, August 2025, Chicago — beat Jared Cannonier, unanimous decision
- 21 March 2026 — beat Sam Patterson, unanimous decision
- UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs Parnasse, 5 September 2026, Accor Arena — beat Nursulton Ruziboev, unanimous decision (29-28 across the board)
That last fight made the case for the promotion better than any argument. Ruziboev took the opening round with takedowns and cage control, Page edged the next two with the cleaner striking, and very little else happened across fifteen minutes. All three judges had it 29-28 for the Londoner.
Why the UFC is moving on
White did not spell out his reasoning. The pattern is hard to miss, though: Page kept winning without ever closing a fight out, and several of his bouts turned into low-output affairs as opponents declined to trade with him. Outlets covering the promotion also reported that his name was pulled from the official roster on Monday, a day before White spoke. There has been no formal UFC release about the split — White's answer to reporters is the whole of it.
What comes next
Page enters free agency at 26-3 overall and on a four-fight winning streak, his most recent defeat coming against Garry in June 2024. His career numbers still carry weight: 13 knockouts and 13 first-round finishes, most of them accumulated in Bellator, on top of a decorated kickboxing background.
PFL and a move into boxing have both been floated in coverage of his exit, but no promotion has announced a deal and Page has not publicly said what he plans to do. A fighter with his name recognition should find a market; the open question is whether the offer arrives from MMA or from another sport, and how much his stoppage-free UFC spell counts against him.
Sources
- UFC.com — UFC Paris results: Hooker vs Parnasse
- UFC.com — Michael Venom Page athlete profile
- Cageside Press — Michael 'Venom' Page Not Re-Signed by UFC, Dana White Confirms
- Yahoo Sports — Dana White confirms Michael 'Venom' Page's tenure with the UFC is over
- Cageside Press — UFC Paris: Michael Page beats Nursulton Ruziboev
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