UFC light heavyweight contender Robert Whittaker criticized Michael Page for his performance against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris.
Although Page won a unanimous decision against Ruziboev, he was heavily criticized for his lack of output in the contest, as he landed just 12 significant strikes during the bout.
Since the fight ended, Page has been deemed ineligible for the MMA media to rank him, which is a signal that the UFC has chosen to part ways with him after the conclusion of his six-fight deal, though nothing has been made official just yet.
Robert Whittaker Criticizes Michael Page
Speaking on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker admitted that he found it difficult to watch Page vs. Ruziboev, while also commending his ability to point-fight at the highest level of MMA.
“I’m going to be honest with you, no. No, I can’t, because I didn’t even want to watch it, and I have nothing but respect for ‘MVP.’ His ability to do what he does at his age is crazy. It’s like he’s dancing in there. He’s so fast and fluid, but I find it so hard to tune in live to MVP winning via points, rather than watching it back afterwards. I reckon there isn’t a single person that can beat MVP over point-sparring in the UFC. He’s so good at it,” Whittaker said (via MMAFighting.com).
Robert Whittaker Explains Michael Page’s Fighting Style
Although Page has not exactly been fun to watch fight inside the Octagon, Whittaker understands why the fights the way he does, since his style makes it so difficult for his opponents to beat him.
“He definitely is a puzzle for a lot of fighters. He’s not fun to fight for anyone. I don’t know, because as a fighter, and knowing that you get paid more if you win, it’s that tricky balance. Because also, he could go out next fight, listen to our comments, and go out there and just start throwing hands, get starched, cut, and that’s it. That’s the reality. That could very well happen, especially after he has kind of just point-won every fight,” Whittaker said.
Robert Whittaker Criticizes Michael Page for UFC Paris Fight