Page Felt Disrespected By UFC Exit After 5-1 Run

Michael Page did not anticipate the manner in which his UFC tenure ended.

Page last fought for the promotion in September at UFC Paris, where he defeated Nursulton Ruziboev via unanimous decision to improve his record under the banner to 5-1. Shortly after, CEO Dana White told media that matchmakers decided against re-signing the welterweight. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Page revealed he expected negotiations rather than dismissal, per MMA Junkie.

Page Expected Contract Discussion After Winning Record

"I had goals to achieve and regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay," Page said. "That's the premise of this game, is success should breed more opportunities. So I still felt like we'll sit down at the table."

Page acknowledged he would have understood a reduced financial offer but took issue with the communication approach. "I felt what may happen is they just say, 'Look, we can re-sign you, but it's going to be a lot less (money),' and we work from there," he told Helwani. "But I wouldn't have expected it to be dealt with in a way that it was dealt with. I found that quite disrespectful, to be fair."

The British fighter said a simple phone call from UFC brass would have softened the blow. Page had voiced frustration during his promotional stint over matchmaking decisions, notably his March bout against Sam Patterson that resulted in another uneventful decision victory. Page complimented the promotion's staff behind the scenes despite the rocky ending.

No word yet on where Page lands next or when he returns to competition.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Michael Page feels disrespected following UFC exit: “I still felt like we’ll sit down at the table”