Michael ‘Venom’ Page has left the UFC and signed a multi-year, multi-fight deal with Misfits Boxing. The announcement came on October 10, 2026, in London, days after Page closed out his UFC run with a decision win in Paris.
A WWE-Style Entrance for a New Chapter
Page’s move to Misfits Boxing was announced at the Copper Box Arena in London, during the promotion’s Essex vs. Dapper event. He walked to the ring with an entrance modeled on WWE wrestler The Undertaker before addressing the crowd. “I’ve been in combat sports for a long time and I’ve had plenty of options, but MF Sports is the right fit for me,” he said. He added that the promotion is doing things differently and that he is coming to show the boxing world what he can do. He also told the crowd, “I want all the smoke, all the smoke,” before closing with “The one and only MVP is back.” The MVP nickname, short for Michael Venom Page, has followed him since his Bellator days, when his unorthodox karate-based striking first made him a cult favorite among MMA fans well beyond the United Kingdom. The entrance itself drew comparisons on social media to a pro-wrestling pay-per-view more than a typical boxing weigh-in, underlining the showmanship Misfits Boxing has built its brand around since its first events with YouTube-turned-boxers.
A Winning UFC Run That Still Ended in Free Agency
Page went 5-1 across six fights inside the Octagon. His only loss came by decision to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024; Garry has since competed for a world title. Page’s flashy, distance-based striking style, built on speed and unorthodox angles, never produced the finishes that tend to build a fighter’s profile with UFC matchmakers and fans, even though it produced plenty of highlight-reel moments over his run. His last two opponents, Nursulton Ruziboev and Sam Patterson, puzzled some observers who expected higher-profile matchups given his standing in the welterweight and middleweight pictures, and his moves back and forth between those two divisions further muddied his path up the rankings. A report dated September 8 said Dana White had already confirmed the UFC would not re-sign Page, even before his final fight in Paris. The day after his decision win over Ruziboev, the promotion confirmed he would not remain on the roster, closing out a UFC run that began in 2024 after years as one of Bellator’s signature attractions.
The Fine Print: Room for Grappling
Reporter Ariel Helwani said the deal ties Page exclusively to Misfits for boxing, but still allows him to compete in grappling and wrestling on the side. Misfits Boxing, founded by British content creator KSI, mostly stages boxing matches between influencers and media personalities, though it has also run MMA bouts under the MF MMA banner. Dillon Danis won the promotion’s first light heavyweight MMA title in August 2025. No opponent or debut date has been set for Page yet, and neither Misfits nor KSI has disclosed the financial terms of the agreement. The grappling carve-out matters for Page specifically, since it means his move to boxing does not have to be a clean break from the wrestling and grappling exchanges that defined parts of his UFC and Bellator career.
A Long Combat Sports Resume
Before joining the UFC in 2024, Page spent a decade in Bellator, where he rose to interim welterweight title challenger and became one of the promotion’s most-watched fighters, known for a karate-based style that looked unlike most conventional MMA strikers. The 39-year-old, who is from Hackney in London, also dabbled in bare-knuckle boxing, dropping a majority decision to Mike Perry at BKFC 27 in August 2022 after a closely contested extra round, along with some kickboxing early in his career. His overall mixed martial arts record stands at 26-3, one of the deepest resumes among British fighters across combat sports, built across three different promotions over roughly two decades of competition.
Another MMA Veteran Joins the Crossover Boxing Wave
Page’s exit fits a pattern seen across combat sports in recent seasons, with MMA veterans moving to mainstream boxing cards once their UFC deals expire in search of bigger paydays and new audiences. Misfits Boxing, built around fights between content creators and media personalities, has spent recent events trying to attach its brand to recognizable MMA names to build sporting credibility alongside its influencer-driven cards. Signing an experienced, arena-tested fighter like Page, who brings a ready-made following from both Bellator and the UFC, fits that strategy closely. No date has yet been announced for his debut under the new deal, and Misfits has not said who his first opponent in the ring will be.
