UFC president Dana White explained why the world’s leading MMA promotion decided not to re-sign Michael Page.
Despite having a 5-1 record inside the Octagon, the UFC made the choice not to re-sign Page, who is now a free agent and able to sign with any other combat sports promotion.
Now, White has opened up about why the promotion didn’t bring him back.
UFC Matchmakers Didn’t Want Michael Page
Speaking to the media during a scrum ahead of the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn boxing match, White revealed that UFC matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard did not want Page back, which is why the promotion let him go.
“Listen, at the end of the day, the matchmakers make the decisions on who stays and who goes, and they didn’t want to re-sign him,” White said.
DW: “Listen, at the end of the day, the matchmakers make the decisions on who stays and who goes, and they didn’t want to re-sign him.”
Michael Page Will Have Options
Despite the UFC letting go of Page, the middleweight striker should have no problem finding a new home, with Jake Paul of MVP MMA and David Feldman of BKFC already saying they are interested in signing him.
Let’s face it, things didn’t work out for Page in the UFC.
Despite a 5-1 record, his fights were incredibly dull to watch, so it made sense that he was released and given the opportunity to fight with another promotion.
While Page is obviously a very good fighter who knows how to win fights, he had a problem showing any sort of finishing instincts inside the Octagon, so it didn’t make sense for the organization to bring him back for big money just for him to dance his way around opponents en route to decision wins via point fighting.
Still, Page is a really big name in the sport, so he should have no issue finding a new home in short order.
The only hope that fans have is that Page opens up with his striking wherever he goes, because fans are hoping that we get the old version of Page from Bellator MMA, who was knocking out his opponents, not the guy who was prone to just winning on points in the UFC.
Dana White Explains Why UFC Didn’t Re-Sign Michael Page