Former UFC middleweight fighter Michael Page said he “felt very restricted” fighting in the UFC and is happy to move on with his career.
Page was not given a new contract offer by the UFC after the conclusion of his six-fight deal following a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris in September.
Despite a 5-1 UFC record, the promotion was not a fan of his fighting style and decided to let him go instead of making an attempt to re-sign him.
Now, he has signed with Misfits Boxing, and he’s happy to move on.
Michael Page Glad to Move On
Speaking on “The Stomping Ground” podcast, Page admitted that he is happy to get a fresh start in Misfits Boxing.
“To be fair, this one happened relatively quickly. We kind of didn’t know as recent as three or four days back, it still wasn’t 100 percent confirmed where we’re going. But yeah, this makes sense. Like I said out there, I feel free of the shackles. I’m a very creative person — my walkouts, my entrances, my exits — and I wasn’t allowed to do that. And I feel like here, they’re literally like, ‘Look, we want you to be yourself.’ That’s going to help me be my best self,” Page said (via MMAFighting.com).
UFC Restricted Page
In Page’s view, the UFC restricted him from reaching his full potential as a fighter.
“For me, it’s a shame. I just feel like there’s so much more the UFC could be doing for fighters. Regardless, whether you like them, hate them, they are the biggest combat show in terms of MMA. So you have to value them, there’s some ridiculously talented fighters,” Page said.
“But I went in there, and I was top-10 in two divisions, I was calling out everybody, wasn’t getting any feedback. Again, felt very restricted, so it’s a shame because I felt like there was more fights, big fights that could be had. But here, I feel free. The big fights, the big names that are out there, that are away from other shows, it’s all going to happen.”
Michael Page Says He ‘Felt Very Restricted’ Fighting in the UFC