Tonight, Michael ‘Venom’ Page secured his fifth UFC victory in six fights by defeating Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris. It was Page’s final fight under his current UFC contract, and many expected the Englishman to put on a show for the Paris crowd. However, despite getting his hand raised, his latest outing once again fell short of expectations.

Disappointed with his performance, the 39-year-old former Bellator fighter admitted that he needs to go back to the drawing board and make tweaks to his fighting style to recapture the excitement that once defined his performances.

“The frustrating thing is, I feel great, which sometimes means I haven’t done enough, and the results show that I haven’t done enough,” Page said during his UFC Paris backstage interview. “I probably need to push myself a little more and take a few more risks. Sometimes I just want to be too clean, too precise. I know there’s more, but it’s frustrating because I get there. When I get to the cage, sometimes I feel like I’m holding back. I want to give more.  

“There’s not one person that can stand in there with me. But then again, there are too many people that can survive with me. That’s the problem. That’s what I need to change. My output needs to change. I need to, like I said, take a few more risks. Not a few, a lot more risks. I got up from him taking me down. I should’ve just done that because the most he was going to do was take me down again, then I get back up. I might have to adapt my style a little bit more.”

Michael ‘Venom’ Page rightfully admits that he made a crucial mistake in his latest fight. However, the problem wasn’t a particular technique that the Englishman failed to use against Ruziboev. Instead, Page simply didn’t throw enough strikes, nearly draining the excitement from the fight.

According to ESPN’s stats, ‘Venom’ attempted just 28 significant strikes and landed 12, which is fewer than half of his attempts. For a fighter of Page’s caliber, who has several highlight-reel knockouts, that output is certainly underwhelming. In fact, the former Bellator fighter recognizes it himself while he self-criticized his performance at UFC Paris. More concerningly, however, this has become a recurring theme in his UFC career.

Much like his performance at Accor Arena tonight, Page’s outing at UFC London against Sam Patterson also turned out to be lackluster. He endured the fans’ wrath, while Dana White also criticized the performance, stating, “It was a bad fight.” 

After another underwhelming performance, the UFC could very well think seriously about axing Michael Page from its roster. However, with his current contract now complete, the Westminster native is hoping the promotion gives him another opportunity to prove that he can still deliver the highlight-reel performances that made him a star in Bellator.

Michael Page wants UFC to sign him back after lackluster Paris showdown    

Following a regretful outing in the final fight of his contract, Michael ‘Venom’ Page wants to re-sign with the UFC. He’s determined to prove that his recent struggles were nothing more than a temporary phase and aims to deliver a crowd-pleasing show if he gets another chance.

“You know, I’ll sit down with the UFC and have an honest conversation with them and say, ‘Look, man, I know I can do better. I’m aspiring to be better,’ Page added in the same interview. “I’m up there. Give me better opponents. I have faith that I can go and deliver something special for the crowd.”

It’s understandable that ‘Venom’ is optimistic about striking a new deal with Dana White and Co. Despite a few dull outings inside the Octagon, the Englishman remains a recognizable name in the MMA world with a solid fan following. So, there’s a chance the promotion could still be interested in keeping ‘MVP’ on its roster.

However, there could be a major roadblock that ultimately hinders Page’s chances of returning. It’s his stance on the UFC’s controversial fighter pay structure, which he has been vocal about.

After Zuffa signed Conor Benn to a reported $15 million-per-fight deal, Michael Page was among the first to voice his disdain over the agreement. He strongly criticized the UFC’s pay structure and even called the deal “disappointing.” However, he was certainly not alone in questioning the UFC’s fighter compensation. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling also spoke out against the system before ultimately re-signing with the promotion.

With that in mind, only time will tell what lies ahead for Michael ‘Venom’ Page after he secured yet another victory in Paris.