Released UFC star Michael Page feels ‘free of shackles’ after switch to boxing
Page put together a solid UFC run but did not score any trademark KOs, and now he is set to box with Misfits
Michael “Venom” Page has said he feels “free of the shackles” after signing for Misfits Boxing, a month after his UFC exit was confirmed.
In September, UFC president and CEO Dana White announced that the British fighter had not been re-signed by the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, despite Page’s solid run.
Page, 39, debuted in the UFC in 2024 and compiled a 5-1 record, though he failed to score any of the flashy knockouts that made him famous.
On Saturday, Page was revealed by YouTuber KSI as the newest member of the Misfits roster, and Page told The Stomping Ground: “To be fair, this one happened relatively quickly.
“We kind of didn’t know as recent as three or four days back; it still wasn’t 100 per cent confirmed where we’re going. But yeah, this makes sense.
“Like I said out there, I feel free of the shackles. I’m a very creative person – my walkouts, my entrances, my exits – and I wasn’t allowed to do that. And I feel like here, they’re literally like: ‘Look, we want you to be yourself.’ That’s going to help me be my best self.
“For me, it’s a shame [that the UFC didn’t highlight that creativity]. I just feel like there’s so much more the UFC could be doing for fighters. Regardless, whether you like them, hate them, they are the biggest combat show in terms of MMA. So, you have to value them.
“There’s some ridiculously talented fighters. But I went in there, and I was top 10 in two divisions. I was calling out everybody, wasn’t getting any feedback. Again, felt very restricted, so it’s a shame, because I felt like there was more fights – big fights that could be had.
“But here, I feel free. The big fights, the big names that are out there, that are away from other shows... it’s all going to happen.”
”MVP” alternated between welterweight and middleweight during his time in the UFC, fighting three times at each weight.
After beating Kevin Holland at welterweight on Page’s debut, he lost to Ian Machado Garry. He then fought at middleweight twice in a row, beating Shara Magomedov and former title challenger Jared Cannonier. One more welterweight outing ensued, as he defeated compatriot Sam Patterson in London this March. Then came a middleweight win over Nursulton Ruziboev in September, in Page’s final UFC fight.
Page’s first Misfits bout is yet to be confirmed, but it will mark his third-ever boxing match; the Briton recorded one KO win in the sport in 2017 and another in 2018. He also competed in bare-knuckle boxing in 2022, losing on points to UFC alum Mike Perry.
Page’s move to Misfits came on the same week that UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was vocal about his desire to leave the promotion and box Jake Paul, the YouTuber who has emerged as one of the most-lucrative opponents for anyone in the boxing ring.
