Michael Page UFC release, confirmed by Dana White himself, came despite a 5-1 record and a four-fight winning streak. The promotion cut him anyway, without hesitation, the night after Page’s contract-closing win in Paris: “I don’t think we’re re-signing him, no.”
That’s the gap this article closes: not whether the decision is fair, but the business logic that made a winning record insufficient to keep a job in the UFC.
What Dana White Actually Said
Page closed out the final fight on his six-fight UFC deal with a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris. By Monday, his name had already been quietly pulled from the UFC’s official media rankings — a signal, before any official word, that the promotion had made up its mind.
“That was his last fight on his contract,” White told reporters Tuesday night, following that week’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series. “I don’t think we’re re-signing him, no. What’s the confusion? I think it’s been pretty clear that he wasn’t being re-signed, and that he would be taken out of the rankings because he’s no longer on the roster.”
Page has not disputed the decision. He responded on social media with a photo of himself miming holding up a boulder, captioned, “Me trying to handle the internet’s opinions.”
The Record That Wasn’t Enough
Page went 5-1 across six UFC fights after joining from Bellator in 2024, his only loss a closely contested decision to current title contender Ian Machado Garry — a fight many observers felt he’d done enough to win. He closed his UFC run on a four-fight winning streak and had, at one stretch, climbed as high as eighth in the middleweight rankings.
None of it mattered. In his final bout against Ruziboev, Page landed just 12 significant strikes across three full rounds — and drew heavy boos from the Paris crowd — despite winning on the scorecards. It was a pattern, not an outlier: every win of Page’s UFC tenure went the distance, and so did his lone loss. Not a single fight ended in a finish.
The Business Logic: Output Beats Outcome
The UFC’s calculus here is a familiar one for the promotion: a fighter’s job security is tied less to their win-loss column than to whether their fights are worth putting on television. Page’s counter-striking style produced wins, but it also produced some of the lowest output numbers of any ranked fighter on the roster — and low output translates directly into lower viewership, weaker draw potential, and less reason for the UFC to keep paying for a roster spot.
It’s the same tension that shows up across the sport at every level: a fighter can be technically excellent and financially replaceable at the same time, because the UFC’s business model rewards fights people want to watch, not just fights a judge scores in your favor.
Reported win-loss and striking figures come from official UFC records and sports-media coverage of UFC Paris; exact contract terms were not disclosed by the promotion.
What’s Next for Page
Page, 39, enters free agency immediately eligible to sign anywhere. Reporting has floated MVP/PFL — which already has a working relationship with fighters like Page’s former Bellator peers — along with newer promotions Strike MMA and the Global Fight League as possible landing spots. A move into boxing has also been mentioned as a longer-shot option given his striking pedigree.
The Bottom Line
Michael Page finished his UFC contract 5-1 with a four-fight win streak, and the promotion still declined to re-sign him — confirmed directly by Dana White the night after Page’s final fight. The release came down to output, not outcome: every win of Page’s UFC run went the distance without a finish, and his counter-striking style produced some of the lowest action numbers on the roster. He’s now a free agent, with MVP/PFL, Strike MMA, and the Global Fight League among the promotions reportedly positioned to make a run at him.
Sources
Bloody Elbow — “Dana White confirms Michael ‘Venom’ Page has left UFC despite winning streak” (Sept. 8, 2026)
Cageside Press — “Michael ‘Venom’ Page Not Re-Signed by UFC, Dana White Confirms”
Yardbarker/BoxingNews — “White Confirms Page Will Not Return To UFC” and “White Confirms Page’s UFC Exit After Paris Win”
Heavy.com — “Dana White Comments on Michael Page’s UFC Future”
BoxingNews — “Page Reacts To UFC Release With Mocking Post”
What was Michael Page’s record in the UFC?
Page went 5-1 across six UFC fights after joining from Bellator in 2024, including a four-fight win streak to close out his contract. His only loss was a close decision to current title contender Ian Machado Garry.
Why did the UFC release a fighter with a winning record?
Dana White and reporting on the decision point to output, not outcome: none of Page’s UFC wins ended in a finish, and his counter-striking style produced low action numbers, including just 12 significant strikes across three rounds in his final fight against Nursulton Ruziboev.
Where might Michael Page fight next?
Page is a free agent as of September 2026. MVP/PFL, Strike MMA, and the Global Fight League have all been mentioned as possible landing spots, with a move to boxing floated as a longer-shot option.