Two-and-a-half years into his UFC career, Michael ‘Venom’ Page is down to the last fight of his original six-fight deal. The 39-year-old has won four of five, fought at two weight classes and is now back at middleweight, where he says he sees his route to a UFC title.For all the changes, Page feels his UFC run has not built the momentum he expected. The loss to Ian Machado Garry at welterweight was followed by wins over Shara Magomedov and former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier, but his return to 170 pounds for Sam Patterson did not lead to the run of fights he had hoped for.“I feel like I had momentum, and it slowed down,” Page told TimesofIndia.com ahead of his middleweight fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night in Paris. “So this fight is to restart that momentum again, and build towards the top.”
Page looks to restart his momentum at 185
Page’s move between the divisions has been tied to that search for momentum. After his wins at middleweight, he wanted to return to welterweight because he saw fights there that interested him. But, he said, getting opponents to agree to those fights became difficult.“I wanted to go back to welterweight, just because I feel like there’s some really exciting fights at welterweight,” Page said. “But the guys at welterweight don’t like to fight regularly enough for me, and I wasn’t getting enough people saying yes to wanting to fight me, so it made more sense to go to middleweight, because I feel like I’ll have regular fights.”That brought him back to 185 pounds, where Page now says the title route is clear.“Well, I’ve solidified myself now at middleweight, so it’s gonna be middleweight,” he said when asked which division he sees himself fighting for a UFC title in.The move up has also suited him physically. Page said he feels stronger at middleweight without losing the speed that has been one of the defining parts of his game.“They gave me more food,” Page said with a chuckle. “To eat more, and feel a lot stronger. So yeah, I definitely feel stronger. I equally still feel as fast, but I feel a lot faster than the guys at middleweight, just because I’m used to exploding and keeping up with welterweights. So the middleweights, I feel my speed is even better there.”
Ruziboev brings a different test for Page
The next step is Ruziboev, who is ranked No. 15 at middleweight and comes into Paris on a three-fight UFC winning streak. The Uzbek is 5-0 in the division, with his only UFC defeat coming in his lone appearance at welterweight.His most recent win was another reminder of the danger he carries on the ground. Ruziboev submitted Andrey Pulyaev in the first round in June, taking his career total to 21 submission wins, according to his UFC record.Page is not expecting to be able to switch off that part of the fight.“Yeah, I think he’s a long, rangy fighter. And as you say, he’s got very good submissions, so that’s definitely his dangerous area,” Page said. “So yeah, it’s making sure I don’t get caught up in anything where he can use that advantage against me. If we’re on the ground, it’s because I’ve gone for the takedown, or I’ve taken him down, and not the other way around. Can’t let him take my back, you know, I have to just be vigilant in the grappling area, and then do exactly what I do well in the striking area.”Ruziboev’s run at middleweight has been one of the more consistent parts of his UFC career. After his brief move to welterweight, he returned to 185 pounds and has won three straight, including the Pulyaev submission.
One fight left, and a title route in mind
For Page, though, the opponent is only part of what makes Saturday important. It is his last fight on the current UFC contract, and he has been open about wanting a new deal – provided it gives him a clearer route towards the bigger fights and, eventually, the title.He has previously described the difficulty of getting a Top-10 opponent as frustrating, saying he had been looking for bigger names over his previous three fights. But Page does not want the contract situation to bleed into fight night.“Yeah, like I said, just having interviews and speaking about it is just what it is. I don’t… after the interview’s finished, I don’t think about it,” he said. “The only thought is Saturday, making sure my fight’s good, and making sure I feel the best, and I go out there and just put on a performance.”That performance could also answer a question that has followed the Bellator standout through his UFC run. He arrived in the promotion known for spectacular finishes, but all five of his UFC fights so far have gone to the judges. His last three – against Cannonier, Patterson and Ruziboev – have come after the move into the middleweight picture.At 39, Page knows the window is not getting wider. What he wants now is a run that moves quickly enough to matter. For the next six months, at least, there will be plenty happening outside the cage too. Page said he has acting work and auditions alongside his training.“It looks… it looks very, very busy, because I’m not only gonna be fighting, but I’m doing some acting stuff as well, so it’s gonna be very, very busy, but it still looks like a lot of training, and… and now a lot of auditions.”(Watch UFC Fight Night – Hooker vs Parnasse on September 06, 2026, from 12:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil,Telugu, Kannada) & Sony LIV.)
