Israel Adesanya Says UFC Got It Wrong by Releasing Michael Page
Israel Adesanya defended Michael 'Venom' Page after the UFC declined to re-sign the flashy welterweight despite a win in his final fight.
Israel Adesanya is not happy about the UFC's decision to let Michael "Venom" Page walk. The former middleweight champion launched a public defense of MVP after the promotion chose not to re-sign the British striker following the final fight on his six-fight contract.
Page won his last UFC bout against Nursultan Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night 287, but it wasn't enough. The UFC reached the conclusion that they would not move forward with Page's contract, per MMA Sucka.
"With Michael 'Venom' Page, I felt like they got it wrong on that one," Adesanya said. He pointed out that Page's losses were limited and came against high-level competition, noting that Ian Garry, the man who beat MVP, "just went toe to toe with the pound-for-pound No. 1, Islam Makhachev."
Adesanya also argued that Page's fights sometimes looked dull not because of Page himself, but because opponents refused to engage. "There are opponents who refrain from engaging and attacking," Adesanya said, citing his own title fight against Yoel Romero as an example of how a cautious opponent can make a fight look bad for both sides.
Adesanya called Page a "hard man to kill" and made clear he thinks the promotion made the wrong call. The comments carry weight coming from a former champion who understands what it's like to be judged for fight entertainment as much as results.
Izzy is right, and I think he knows why this one stings. The UFC has a pattern of cutting fighters who don't finish enough, regardless of how good their skills actually are. Page is one of the most creative strikers in MMA history. His Bellator highlight reel is absurd. But the UFC wanted fireworks every time, and when they didn't get them, they moved on.
The Romero comparison is perfect. Nobody blamed Adesanya for that awful title fight. They blamed Romero for refusing to engage. But when Page has the same problem with lesser-known opponents, suddenly it's Page's fault. That's the double standard Izzy is calling out. Whether Page lands in PFL or ONE, somebody is getting a steal. The UFC let entertainment bias override talent evaluation, and that's a dangerous precedent.
