Michael “Venom” Page may soon bring his talents to the UFC octagon.
The dynamic and creative striker, who recently hit free agency following the conclusion of his contract with Bellator MMA, met with UFC officials in Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 294 on Saturday. Page was accompanied by manager Audie Attar, and UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed the two sides were in talks on potentially welcoming him to the promotion.
“He’s a kid that we’re definitely interested in,” White said Saturday night when asked about the UFC potentially signing Page. “He’s interested too. Possibly.”
With a 21-2 record, Page was a top welterweight contender throughout his decade-long career with the Paramount-owned organization. Page displayed one of the nastiest striking arsenals in the entire sport, oftentimes dissecting opponents on the feet or just displaying devastating power with eight first-round finishes during his time with Bellator.
There was some surprise that Page reached free agency after being a high-priority member of the Bellator roster for so many years, although it appears the company will likely close its doors for the final time after an upcoming event in November.
Showtime recently announced plans to discontinue all combat sports on the network, which includes both boxing and MMA. Paramount has been in talks to sell Bellator for several months.
Even Page seemed surprised that Bellator allowed his contract to lapse, but that gave him the opportunity explore other potential options for his career.
“I think it’s time for me to just explore what else is out there,” Page told MMA Fighting back in July. “It doesn’t mean I’m not going to go back with Bellator. It just means I want to see what other people think of ‘MVP.’”
While no deal has been announced just yet, if Page ends up in the UFC, he would immediately become a very interesting name to watch in the welterweight division.
