The middleweight division has suited Michael Page well since he made the jump up from welterweight in February. Want proof? Page is now a top-10 185-pounder in the latest UFC rankings update after UFC 319.
Matched against one-time title challenger Jared Cannonier, Page put on a show with a vintage, systematic striking clinic this past Saturday en route to a decision win. The performance was arguably Page's best in the UFC thus far, and he attributes that success to a mental shift he underwent in recent months. The 38-year-old former kickboxer debuted in the UFC only last year after a decade-long run in Bellator, and "MVP" admitted on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the pressure of appeasing his new bosses and changing his style had weighed heavily on his mind during his first few Octagon appearances.
"I kind of knew what I was walking into, and that was definitely part of my decision-making when I wanted to come to the UFC," Page said. "Historically, [UFC CEO Dana White] doesn't tend to like any of that kind of [showboating] stuff, which was actually a massive worry for me coming to the UFC. But in my eyes, I knew I wanted to come here anyway, and I also can't care about somebody else. This is what makes me me. The fact that I'm there now, I'm going to refuse to be pushed or moved into anything else apart from myself. I am the best. I am the most entertaining when I am myself, and even trying to care about what important figures obviously care about and want to see is just not even in my head anymore.
"I think that's part of the pressure, where a lot of these guys coming over from Bellator, they feel immediately they want to impress Dana. They want to impress the heads [of the UFC], and they really want to. For me? Nah. Be myself. I'm an impressive person. I bring eyes, I bring excitement. I bring magic to the cage, which not many people can do, and I'm just going to keep being myself."
As he alluded to, Page has been one of the few recent Bellator transplants to make a successful transition to the UFC and gain momentum. Even at UFC 319, fellow former stablemate on the other side of the tracks, Aaron Pico, suffered a devastating knockout loss in his debut against Lerone Murphy.
Ultimately, Page feels good and strong at middleweight, despite still being uncertain about whether he'll stay at the weight class or return to 170 pounds. He admitted that if he stays at 185 pounds, it'll require some strength adjustments, considering the success Cannonier had late in their three-round clash.
Outside of that last-minute surge from his opponent, Page was cruising in Chicago.
"I was just having fun. That is how I used to be," Page said of his performance. "Whereas before, I think I was trying to impress. I felt myself trying to impress the UFC crowd and trying to impress the likes of [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell] and Dana White, trying to impress just everybody. I've never been like that. I've always just been myself, and impressive things happen because I'm being myself. This is the first time I seriously was just in the old-school 'MVP' flow state, and it felt amazing."
Page has only lost once in the UFC — a June 2024 decision defeat to top welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry in Page's final 170-pound appearance before moving up in weight. Although the contender pool is relatively crowded at welterweight, Page presumably wouldn't be far down the totem pole if he does drop back down to the division, depending on who he's matched with for a return.
Former champion Leon Edwards has been of interest to "MVP," but, of course, the current titleholder Jack Della Maddalena is of the highest intrigue for the British showman.
"'JDM,' just stylistically, I know he's got the belt, and I have to get in that position to ask for a shot at the belt," Page said, "but stylistically, I feel like I can win that fight."
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