Michael Page's controversial UFC exit shows the paradox of being a defensive genius in MMA

Michael Page had an impressive, dare I say criminally underrated, run in the UFC. Nevertheless, his UFC stint has come to an abrupt end here in 2026. 

"Venom" is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive geniuses in all of combat sports. Why, then, did the world's premier MMA organization -- the UFC -- refrain from re-signing him? 

Today, we take a concise look at the paradox of being a defensive extraordinaire in the MMA and broader combat sports sphere... 

Michael Page's defensive greatness and durable opponents worked against him in the UFC

Remember when "MVP" secured a terrifying skull-shattering stoppage of Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos? Yes, the one followed by the much-discussed Pokemon-inspired celebration, with him throwing a Pokeball at a fallen Santos. That flying knee and the thunderous KO it produced came under the Bellator MMA banner around a decade ago. 

Page has had a rollercoaster run in the ensuing years, even getting viciously knocked out in his first MMA loss, which came against Douglas Lima in Bellator MMA. The Englishman avenged that 2019 defeat a couple of years later, outpointing Lima in their rematch. He later suffered a split decision defeat against Logan Storley toward the end of his Bellator MMA run. 

Moreover, Page finally made his long-awaited transition to the UFC in 2024. He did so in style, styling (no pun intended) on a dangerous striker and fellow KO artist in Kevin Holland en route to a unanimous decision win. However, the Briton suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Irish MMA maestro Ian Machado Garry the same year. 

That was followed by the kickboxing savant and karateka's move up to middleweight, where he scored back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Shara Magomedov and Jared Cannonier last year. Page went down to welterweight earlier this year and beat Sam Patterson by way of unanimous decision.

His next, and most recent, professional MMA match turned out to be his last in the UFC. He thoroughly out-struck and beat the towering and ferocious Nursulton Ruziboev via unanimous decision in a middleweight clash at UFC Paris on September 5. 

Did you notice a common pattern in each of Page's six UFC fights? It's rather glaring -- all of his UFC outings went to the judges' scorecards. Even the lone UFC loss on his record, the fight against Garry, had its verdict decided by the judges.

Gone were the flashy knockouts he was known for outside the UFC. That, in turn, is said to be one of the biggest reasons behind the UFC and even some of Page's supporters turning against him, especially as he neared the latter stages of his UFC run. The same defense that's helped him escape dangerous fights unscathed was blamed for his fights turning into -- what some labelled -- uneventful staring contests. 

But he really isn't at fault. Page was simply ensnared by a perfect storm -- as he had himself alluded to, his defensive genius and striking prowess combined with the high-level UFC fighters' ability to survive his occasional offense made for some rather lackluster fights. 

MVP MMA for "MVP" or a return to the BKFC could be the solution for Michael Page

Heading into UFC Paris, Michael Page had consistently maintained that it was the final fight of his UFC contract and he'd like to re-sign with the MMA organization to capture the UFC middleweight belt. 

Regardless, UFC CEO and president Dana White subsequently confirmed that the promotion hasn't re-signed Page. Meanwhile, longtime UFC detractor and MVP MMA founder Jake Paul has called for "MVP" to join MVP MMA. That could be a viable option for the Briton. 

Furthermore, he appears to have gotten an offer from a familiar promotion, one where he has competed in the past -- namely the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Page famously fought ex-UFC star Mike Perry in a six-round thriller inside the BKFC's famed Squared Circle back in 2022, losing to Perry via majority decision. 

BKFC founder and president David Feldman indicated that the bare-knuckle boxing organization would be open to welcoming Page back to its roster. If that does materialize, it'll give the striking savant an opportunity to notch his first bare-knuckle boxing win. 

Also, with BKFC King of Violence Mike Perry currently out with a shoulder injury, as well as the BKFC's lineup of star-studded fight cards on the horizon, Page could be on his way to some high-profile fights. 

Could we see the 39-year-old make the switch from the sport of MMA to bare-knuckle boxing, or perhaps stay in the MMA realm by taking up Jake Paul's apparent offer? Maybe he could take a page out of fellow striker Shara Magomedov's book and try his hand at freestyle wrestling in the RAF (Real American Freestyle) wrestling organization. 

The ensuing weeks would be crucial in regard to which way Page's combat sports career pivots. 

Wherever he chooses to take his talents, one thing is crystal clear -- Page and other karatekas such as Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson -- point-fighting defensive geniuses -- face an odd paradox.

They adhere to the combat tenet of "Hit and don't get hit" -- but MMA and other combat sports often tend to judge their defensive brilliance rather pessimistically. Perhaps it's time to view defensive greats through the lens of an optimist.