Michael Page (24-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has had a decent run of luck since joining the active roster of MMA’s No. 1 promotion in March of 2024. The former stalwart in the late Bellator MMA went 17-2 under Scott Coker’s former promotional banner until departing in 2023.
A leg kick knockout victory over Goiti Yamauchi (31-7 MMA,) the current Pancrase Welterweight Champion, just 26 seconds into their 2023 fight was the last win Michael Page would score before switching promotions. In the wake of “MVP” joining the UFC, he owns a 3-1 record in the latter company.
Page’s 2025 schedule was one of success. In the old year, Michael Page went 2-0 in the UFC, with his most recent win coming on Aug. 16 in Chicago. That night inside United Center, the home court of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, he outpaced Jared Cannonier (18-9 MMA, 11-9 UFC) by way of unanimous decision after three rounds of action.
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Michael Page Having Problems with Booking Heading Into 2026
Page is of the belief that he’ll make his 2026 return on the March 20 show inside O2 Arena for UFC London. What he doesn’t yet know is who’s going to be staring him down in the other corner that night, be it a welterweight or middleweight opponent. He has yet to fight in London in his UFC tenure.
During a recent appearance on the Shxts ‘n’ Gigs podcast, he detailed the hardships of fighting in multiple weight classes and why it’s been a challenge for the UFC matchmakers to give him a proper opponent for an upcoming fight.
“I said ‘I want to be at welterweight [for my next fight],'” Michael Page began on the podcast. “I’ve taken a spur of the moment at middleweight fight vs. Shara “Bullet” [Magomedov]. I didn’t mind, then I was like, ‘okay, give me a welterweight fight.’ Nobody’s available.”
Upon asking for another contest at 185, he was granted a bout with Jared Cannonier, after which he got his hand raised in victory. Since that August fight, Michael Page has been forced to play the waiting game.
“Cool, give me a welterweight fight,” he recalled. “Nobody’s available. How can nobody be available? This is literally what I’m getting messaged back.”
Michael Page Perplexed at Lack of Suitable Adversaries
Later on in the podcast interview, without identifying a fighter by name, Page said that he’d have liked to fight someone in particular, only to be told that the contestant in question is already being lined up to fight someone else.
“I kid you not, there was a fight the other day [and] quite a few welterweights were performing,” Michael Page mentioned. “He just won a fight spectacularly. I messaged ‘That’s a great fight for me in London’. ‘Oh, we’ve got plans for him.’ The guy just stepped out of the cage. I’m already [out] for months and you don’t have plans for me, but you have plans for him? Something’s going on.”
Michael Page on Israel Adesanya
Another fighter in the UFC’s middleweight division who finds himself in the midst of a hiatus from competition these days is Israel Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC.) Recently, “The Last Stylebender” fielded audience questions about an eventual return to the Octagon in 2026.
Adesanya has mentioned that he’s no longer interested in a pursuit of the UFC Middleweight Championship upon his return to competition. Michael Page was asked during his podcast episode if he’d consider facing off against Israel Adesanya in a future fight.
“We’re proper brethren,” he said. “I always say this: Me and him are both prizefighters. If the prize is high enough, then we’d both do it. He’s fought Anderson Silva, somebody he’s looked up to and somebody he respects. Anderson Silva respected him as a young buck coming through.”
“It was dope,” he continued. “I feel like I wanted a couple more rounds, but it was dope. I’m a person, because of the world I come from, a lot of my good friends are guys I used to fight all the time.”
Final Thoughts
Although there’s still no word on if Michael Page will fight on March 20 at UFC London, he’s too good of a fighter to keep out of action for very long. If the March 20 date comes to pass without Page making an appearance inside the fabled Octagon, it’ll be a shame.
He’s a man who’s fought 27 times professionally and has only tasted the bitter pill of defeat three times since turning pro. Here’s hoping Page and his fans don’t need to wait too much longer for his next trip to the cage.
