Michael Page won his last UFC fight and still lost his spot on the roster. The British fighter defeated Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on September 5, 2026, completing the final fight on his contract. By Monday the promotion had removed him from the UFC rankings. By Tuesday, UFC CEO Dana White had confirmed what everyone already suspected. Page would not be re-signed.
What Happened
Page fought Ruziboev in the featured bout at UFC Paris at Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 5, 2026. The fight went the full fifteen minutes. Page won a unanimous decision. The crowd in Paris booed throughout.
Despite the win, Page was removed from UFC media rankings eligibility on Monday, September 7. This is standard procedure for fighters who are no longer on the roster. The removal happened without a public statement from the UFC, but the meaning was clear to anyone watching the situation.
Dana White addressed the news directly following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. White told media that Page’s contract had run its course and that the promotion had decided not to offer him a new one. He said: “That was his last fight on his contract. I don’t think we’re signing him, no. What’s the confusion? I think it’s been pretty clear that he wasn’t being re-signed, and that he would be taken out of the rankings, because he’s no longer on the roster.”
Key Details
Page joined the UFC in December 2023 as one of the most anticipated signings of that year. The former Bellator interim Welterweight (170 lbs / 77.1 kg) title challenger brought a reputation built on creative karate-based striking, highlight-reel finishes, and a personality that carried genuine commercial appeal. He signed a six-fight deal and entered the UFC at 36 years old with a professional record that demanded respect.
His UFC run produced a 5-1 record across two weight classes. Every one of his five wins came by unanimous decision. He never finished an opponent inside the Octagon across his entire UFC tenure. The one loss came against Ian Machado Garry 18-1-0 at UFC 310 in December 2024, a performance that showed Page could compete at the top level but also exposed the limitations of his point-fighting approach against elite opposition.
The UFC Paris performance against Ruziboev 37-9-2 became the final evidence the promotion needed to make its decision. Page landed just twelve significant strikes across fifteen minutes of fighting. Ruziboev suffered a knee injury from a low kick early in the second round. Page did not increase his output even with an injured opponent in front of him. The crowd expressed its frustration loudly. Page himself acknowledged after the fight that he had not delivered what he wanted to deliver. His self-assessment matched the UFC’s evaluation precisely.
Page had spoken before UFC Paris about wanting to discuss his future with the promotion. He said publicly that he hoped to continue. Those conversations never progressed to an offer.
What This Means
The release of Page raises a straightforward question about what went wrong between a 5-1 record and a UFC exit. The answer sits in the gap between results and performance.
A UFC contract renewal is not determined solely by wins and losses. The promotion evaluates entertainment value, finishing ability, fan engagement, and whether a fighter is building commercial momentum on the roster. Page went five fights without a finish in an organisation where entertaining wins and significant strikes matter to the promotion’s commercial model. He was booed at UFC Paris while fighting the final fight of his contract in a city where the audience expected exactly the kind of creative striking violence that had made his Bellator career compelling. He did not deliver it.
The matchmaking path also contributed to the outcome. After facing recognisable opponents including Kevin Holland and Murtazali Magomedov, Page was subsequently booked against Sam Patterson and then Ruziboev. Two fights that raised questions about where the promotion saw him fitting into the divisional picture. Page moved between Welterweight and Middleweight (185 lbs / 83.9 kg) without establishing a permanent home in either division at UFC level.
The UFC Paris results that included Page’s final fight are covered in our UFC Paris results article. The broader UFC Paris night also produced Salahdine Parnasse’s debut KO of Dan Hooker 24-15-0, a result that generated significantly more post-event conversation than Page’s decision win. The contrast between the two main card performances was not lost on the promotion or its fanbase.
Background Context
Michael Page 26-3-0 was born on June 19, 1987, in London, England. He trains at Walthamstow Boxing Club and has competed across multiple combat sports disciplines including kickboxing, BKFC, and MMA. He made his MMA professional debut in 2012 and built his reputation at Bellator MMA, where his combination of karate footwork, spinning strikes, and athletic creativity produced some of the most visually memorable finishes in that organisation’s history.
He joined the UFC at 36 years old carrying a career record built on the strength of creative striking that thrilled crowds in smaller arenas but struggled to translate consistently to the Octagon at UFC level. The issue was never talent. Page is a skilled and technically creative fighter. The issue was output. A fighter whose style depends on explosive moments needs to generate enough of them to justify the entertainment standard the UFC expects from featured roster members.
Page now enters free agency at 26-3-0 with a four-fight winning streak. His options are genuine. Several promotions have been linked to his name already. Scott Coker’s upcoming new promotion is one possibility. The PFL is another. BKFC, where Page previously competed, remains an option. His profile outside the UFC remains strong enough to command a main event position in any of those organisations.
The pre-fight build-up and fight card context heading into the Ruziboev bout is available in our Michael Page UFC Paris article. The full UFC Paris card breakdown is covered in the UFC Paris Hooker vs Parnasse prediction article.
Conclusion
Michael Page’s UFC tenure is over. Dana White confirmed it directly, without ambiguity, and without leaving room for a comeback narrative. A 5-1 record that produced zero finishes across six fights in a promotion that values entertainment as much as winning was not enough to earn a new contract. Page leaves the UFC with his professional record intact and his free agency options open. The next promotion that signs him gets a fighter with genuine skill, genuine personality, and an urgent need to prove that the finishing ability that defined his Bellator career can still emerge when the fights and the crowds demand it most.
