Whittaker On Page's UFC Paris Performance

Robert Whittaker said he struggled to watch Michael Page fight at UFC Paris this past Saturday.

Page earned a decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev to improve to 5-1 in the UFC, though the performance drew criticism for its lack of action. Speaking on his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker praised Page's ability but admitted the 39-year-old's calculated style makes for tough viewing. "I didn't even want to watch it, and I have nothing but respect for 'MVP,'" Whittaker said, per MMA Fighting. "His ability to do what he does at his age is crazy. It's like he's dancing in there. He's so fast and fluid, but I find it so hard to tune in live to MVP winning via points."

Whittaker Compares Page's Style To Live Judging Feed

The former middleweight champion compared Page's approach to having real-time access to the judges' scorecards. "As soon as it starts to drop, he just does a little bit more, and it goes back up," Whittaker said. "He just does enough, which is the game, right? But man, it makes it hard to watch fights back when he's doing that." Whittaker added that no one in the UFC can match Page in a point-sparring contest.

Page fought out his UFC contract with the Ruziboev win and has since been removed from official rankings eligibility, as first reported by John Morgan. The Englishman holds wins over Jared Cannonier and Shara Bullet during his UFC run, though his performances have been overshadowed by a lack of memorable moments inside the cage. Page responded to critics after UFC Paris by promising to do better in future outings.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Robert Whittaker befuddled by Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s UFC Paris performance: ‘I didn’t even want to watch it’