One fight left on UFC deal, but Michael Page knows his path to title: ‘It’s going to be a middleweight’

After two and a half years in the UFC, Michael ‘Venom’ Page is on the last fight of his original six-fight contract. The 39-year-old has won four of five, fought in two weight classes and is now back at middleweight, where he says he sees his way to a UFC title.Despite all the changes, Page feels his run in the UFC hasn’t built the momentum he’d hoped for. A welterweight loss to Ian Machado Garry was followed by wins over Shara Magomedova and former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier, but his return to 170 pounds for Sam Patterson didn’t lead to the streak he was hoping for.“I feel like I had momentum and it slowed down,” Page said TimesofIndia.com ahead of his middleweight bout against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night in Paris. “So this fight is to reignite that momentum and build towards the top.

Page looks to regain his momentum at 185

Page’s move between divisions was in search of momentum. After winning at middleweight, he wanted to return to welterweight because he saw fights there that interested him. But he said getting opponents to agree to those fights was difficult.“I wanted to go back to welterweight because I feel like there are really exciting fights at welterweight,” Page said. “But the welterweight guys don’t like to fight me regularly enough and I haven’t had enough people say yes to fight me, so it made more sense to go to middleweight because I feel like I’m going to have regular fights.That brought him back down to 185 pounds, where Page now says the title path is clear.“Well, now I’ve solidified at middleweight, so it’s going to be middleweight,” he said when asked which division he thought the UFC title fight would be in.The move up suited him physically as well. Page said he feels stronger at middleweight without losing the speed that has been one of the defining parts of his game.“They gave me more food,” Page said with a smile. “Eating more and feeling a lot stronger. So yeah, I definitely feel stronger. I still feel the same speed anyway, but I feel a lot faster than the guys at middleweight, just because I’m used to exploding and keeping up with the welterweights. So at middleweight, I feel like my speed is even better there.”

Ruziboev brings a different test for Page

Next up is Ruziboev, who is ranked 15th in the middleweight division and comes to Paris on a three-fight UFC winning streak. The Uzbek is 5-0 in the division, with his only UFC defeat coming in his only appearance at welterweight.His latest victory was another reminder of the danger he carries on earth. Ruziboev submitted Andrey Pulyaev in the first round in June, giving him a UFC record total of 21 career wins.Page doesn’t expect to be able to shut down that part of the fight.“Yeah, I think he’s a long, lean fighter. And like you say, he’s got a very good submission, so that’s definitely his danger area,” Page said. “So yeah, it makes sure I don’t get caught in anything where he can use that advantage against me. If we’re on the ground, it’s because I went for a takedown or I took him down, not the other way around. I can’t let him take my back, you know, I’ve got to be alert in the anchor area and then do exactly what I’m doing well.”Ruziboev’s middleweight run has been one of the more consistent parts of his UFC career. After a brief move to welterweight, he returned to 185 pounds and won three in a row, including a submission of Pulyaev.

One fight left and the path to the title in mind

For Page, however, the opponent is only part of what makes Saturday important. It’s his last fight under his current UFC contract, and he’s openly wanted a new contract — assuming it will give him a clearer path to bigger fights and, ultimately, a title shot.He has previously described the difficulty of getting Top-10 opponents as frustrating and said he was looking for bigger names in his previous three matches. But Page doesn’t want the contract situation to turn into a fight night.“Yeah, like I said, just having conversations and talking about it is what it is. I don’t … I don’t think about it after the conversation is over,” he said. “The only thought is Saturday, making sure my fight is good and making sure I feel the best I can and I’m going to go out there and perform.The performance could also answer a question that has dogged the Bellator standout during his UFC run. He arrived at a promotion known for spectacular finishes, but all five of his UFC fights to date have gone to referees. His last three – against Cannonier, Patterson and Ruziboev – came after moving up to middleweight.At 39, Page knows the window isn’t getting any bigger. What he wants now is a run that moves fast enough to matter. There will be a lot going on outside the cage for at least the next six months. Page said he has acting work and auditions in addition to training.“It looks… it looks very, very busy because not only will I be fighting, but I’m also doing some acting stuff, so it’s going to be very, very busy, but it still looks like a lot of training and… and now a lot of auditions.”(Watch UFC Fight Night – Hooker vs Parnasse on 6 September 2026 from 0:30 AM IST Live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) & Sony LIV.)