Michael ‘Venom’ Page in ‘Battle Scenario’ as Return to 170-Pound Division Stalled Due to ‘Politics’

His UFC 303 PPV ruffling pushed Michael ‘Venom’ Page to middleweight, but he still has dreams of a UFC welterweight return in near future.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page in ‘Battle Scenario’ as Return to 170-Pound Division Stalled Due to ‘Politics’

Michael ‘Venom’ Page open to welterweight return but finds it difficult to land opponent (Source: X)

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In a card riddled with a highly anticipated main event, Michael Page has his own assignment at the UFC 319 PPV event. Page has his case to make as he faces former title challenger Jared Cannonier on the penultimate PPV main card slot. Barring the challenge, the English fighter has his heart set on welterweight.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page is off to a good start in the 185-pound division with a win vs. Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia. The #15 welterweight on the Athletes’ Listings still has a long way to go and wants to make his mark in the previous division.

Page started his UFC run with a UD victory over Kevin Holland at 170 pounds, otherwise famous for being the most active fighter. While the Englishman wanted to continue his stride there, he found that not many fighters were willing to answer the call like Holland. Page still wants to go back down but still finds atypical reluctance from fighters to make particular bookings.

I actually wanted to go down. Welterweight seems to be very political. Everybody wants to fight specific people, and it’s a bit of a battle. I’m not in that stage of my career — I just want to fight everybody and anybody. Whereas in middleweight, people are a lot keener, especially because I’m coming up.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page to Fred Talks Fighting (H/T: @RedCorner_MMA on X)

If it were up to him, Page finds more comfort at 170. The convoluted weight class has No.1-ranked Belal Muhammad vying for a rematch. Meanwhile, #2 Sean Brady has similar titular aspirations; so does No.3-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov, which puts him at the crosshairs with Brady. After their recent runs, Michael Morales, Ian Garry, and former champ Kamaru Usman are also gunning for gold.

All the while, current champ Jack Della Maddalena isn’t even making his first PPV title defense against any of these names! So, Page finds particular names nitpicking matches that solidify them as top contenders, which leaves him out as a top-15 ranked welterweight. Even so, he isn’t giving up hope and wants to return to welterweight for a fight against a former champ.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page teasing return to the welterweight division vs. former champ

The matchup between Page and Cannonier is one of the most compelling and pivotal confrontations on a jam-packed card at UFC 319 PPV. Since his last title bid at UFC 276, Cannonier has gone 3-2 and is ranked #8 in the Athletes’ Listings. If Page defeats a formidable opponent like Cannonier, it will thrust him into the spotlight of potential middleweight title contenders.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page teases UK’s biggest fight vs. staple and former champ
Michael ‘Venom’ Page teases UK’s biggest fight vs. staple and former champ (Source: X)

There were even recent rumors that MVP gave Chechen phenom and middleweight title challenger Khamzat Chimaev a tough time while sparring in Dubai; Page shut those rumors down.

The 38-year-old switch-striker is poised to win more at both weight classes, and Chimaev, who himself has fought at both divisions, even took notice. After his UFC Saudi Arabia victory and one of his more meaningful striking clinics/wins, Chimaev congratulated his performance.

Even so, time and again, Michael ‘Venom’ Page has made empathetic pickings of wanting to make it big at welterweight first. Recently, he has promised at least one more return to the weight class. For which, he yet again has former 170bs champ Leon Edwards in mind.

I’m in it for big fights, and at the same time, I do want to get [title] shot…[S] How, How I see it now…I’m a person that can fight in both divisions, and depending on what the best path is to the top…[Also] includes interesting fights; next year…they’d like to come back to the UK. I still think a Leon Edwards fight is a great fight for the UK. [Obviously] at welterweight. So if that’s offered to me, I’d 100 percent accept that kind of fight.

Michael ‘Venom’ Page on “The Ariel Helwani Show”

After losing his title to Belal Muhammad and a humiliating loss to Sean Brady at UFC London, ‘Rocky’ is yet to be booked. Page considers that timing would be everything, and an all-out English affair would make all the sense in the world. The all-UK matchup could be shoved to later in the pipeline if Page wins at UFC 319 and gets or makes calls to other names, though.

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