Michael Venom Page, also known MVP is a British mixed martial artist. Making his name as a fighter in the Bellator MMA promotion and made his UFC debut on the UFC 299 event defeating Kevin Holland via unanimous decision and has since cemented himself as a UFC Welterweight contender with 4 wins and 1 loss.
Speaking to Thunderpick, in a two-part exclusive interview, Michael Venom Page discusses his UFC future, his uncertainty over his next fight and the possibility of a Conor McGregor fight.
How does your relationship with the UFC feel right now?
We are not even in discussions about who I am fighting yet, let alone anything else. It would be nice to have clearer communication on what they’re thinking. It feels like you’re dating someone, but have no idea how they feel about you. It’s just an awkward place to be in. I don’t know if I’ve done something disrespectful before, or if they’re just not happy with me, or if I’m over-reading things. Maybe there’s nothing wrong. Maybe they’re just dealing with 600-plus fighters, and they haven’t quite got to me in terms of sitting down with a proper plan.
Is welterweight still your preferred division, or are you looking seriously at middleweight?
My preferred lane is definitely welterweight. But I’m looking at the state of the welterweight division and, for me, it makes it a lot less appealing, simply because I feel like there are too many people claiming to be the person on top. There are too many people willing to wait. The person with the belt tends to not fight that regularly, so I feel like the whole division is at a weird halt. Whereas the middleweight division feels like there are more rapid-fire fights, more consistent fights. That is why I’ve been saying I’d prefer to be at welterweight, but I am willing to take the risk, as I’ve already done, and actually commit to middleweight if there are going to be more opportunities for me to fight. The welterweight division seems very political. Very, very political. I’m not at that stage in my career to be going through politics. I just want to get in the cage and fight.If I win a fight, move forward, and then get fights that actually mean me moving forward.
What do you lose by fighting at middleweight instead of welterweight?
I feel like I’m capable of doing middleweight, and I’ve obviously shown that.
But I land certain shots at welterweight, and that shot is a fight-finishing shot. I have to land four or five of them at middleweight in order to finish it. That means, for my opponents, they still have the ability to land that one shot. I’m constantly in more danger for a longer period of time because of the weight difference. I know I’m capable of doing it. It just means I have to push myself a little bit harder. I have to build my muscle mass, build my explosivity and power, and then still go up and take those challenges and risks.
Carlos Prates needs a fight?
I messaged Hunter and I was like, “I’d love to have this fight [with Prates].” He said they already had plans for him. Which was weird for me to hear, simply because I’m already outside the cage with no plans. This guy has just stepped out of the cage and he’s got plans already?
I don’t know how they do things. But for me, that is a great fight. I think he’s a great talent. There are loads of fights, not just him, but this is just my experience of it. I’d love to have that fight.
What kind of fight are you lobbying the UFC for?
Just a fight that signifies progression, which is usually a ranked fighter. I feel like I’ve showcased enough that it needs to be within the top 10. Everyone just seems to be waiting. I don’t know what Usman is doing. I think Morales is also of the belief, and I understand why, that he needs to fight for the title next. So him and Prates are now waiting instead of fighting each other.
Everyone just feels like they are standing and watching, and I don’t care to do that. That’s why I’m considering going up to middleweight, taking that risk, putting myself in a little bit more danger, but I’m confident in myself to still progress and succeed in that division.
Is free agency a real possibility if the UFC talks do not progress?
I don’t care for it to be a possibility. In my head, I’m focusing on figuring things out with the UFC, having good conversations, figuring out what their plans are, and progressing. My goal is the belt, so I don’t really care about that side. In my head, I’ve got a brand. If things weren’t to go well with the UFC, I know I can always create opportunities outside. I’m not worried about it, so I don’t even think about it. For now, it’s, “Let’s figure this out with the UFC, and let’s move forward.”
How does Zuffa Boxing money and the UFC’s Paramount deal affect your own negotiations?
I’m going to be one of the earlier fighters having to renegotiate just after these things are happening. It’s very difficult to know [how negotiations are going to go]. Boxers, I understand, seem to just be paid more historically. I think it’s wrong. I think it’s been wrong for a long time. The UFC just got a big paycheck from the Paramount deal. Should there be more money in it? Yeah, there definitely should be. I’d hope it means us getting valued more, and the type of effort we have to put in just to even get to a fight, with the weight cuts and so on. Even boxers don’t have to cut weight in the way we have to cut weight. So they get so much less stress and so much more money. I just think it’s wrong.
Would you fight Conor McGregor at 170?
All the dangers I said I’m going to put myself in at middleweight are exactly what he puts himself in fighting me at 170, as well as me being way more awkward than anybody he’s ever fought in his life. He will never come up against somebody like me ever again. If he was to stay at 170 and that was an opportunity, 100% my hand would be up. I’m happy to cut the weight down and kick him in the face.
Does the 170lb weight favour Conor McGregor against Max Holloway?
It definitely favours McGregor, but I understand why. I guess they’re doing it in favour of McGregor. It means more for the UFC if he can come back and get a big win, because he’s the money man when it comes to viewers’ eyes. As long as he’s been out, he hasn’t been forgotten. I understand why things would be in his favour. He’s the A side, and he’s going to be able to demand a few more things in his favour. Max is a solid fighter, he’s not going to care, he’s going to get a big paycheck, and he genuinely believes he’s going to beat him.
Who do you favour between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway?
You have to favour Max. McGregor is always going to have that McGregor effect, but you’re always going to favour the more consistent fighter. It’s going to be more of a stand-up thing, and again, is McGregor’s timing a little bit off, especially to be in the pocket with somebody like Max? McGregor wasn’t necessarily the fittest of fighters even when he was in his prime. One of the question marks over his name was his fitness. You would get to round two or round three and start to see him dip a little bit. Now he’s gone up a weight and he’s been out. I think one of the first things you lose is fitness, and the other thing you lose is timing. Both are the two things he is probably going to need.
Is it realistic for McGregor to chase fights with Gaethje and Islam Makhachev?
Is it realistic for McGregor to chase fights with Gaethje and Islam Makhachev?No. I think it’s easy at this point to shout out all the best names and biggest names because it makes him look like that guy. We will see when he gets in the cage what McGregor turns up, and then we’ll see how realistic that is. Especially if you’re going to take a year out again, I don’t see it as realistic.
What do you make of McGregor having a two-fight deal with one fight now and another a year later?
That seems weird.I’m just going to assume it’s because his schedule is going to be packed full of maybe Bare Knuckle shows, or other promotions and stuff that he’s doing. That’s the only thing that makes sense, because otherwise, when you get back in, you’d want to stay training and try to get back-to-back fights. I can only speculate and believe it must be because he’s doing so many other things.
What did you think of the pomp and pageantry around the White House card?
What I would like to see is them do that more. Especially when I saw them partner with WWE, those guys are known for walkouts and creating amazing spectacles within events. I was like, “They could take that on board.” It didn’t seem like they cared to do it for that, or even take that on.But seeing this, I’m hoping they’ve seen how exciting it is for fighters and fans, and they try to adopt that more, even if it’s only on a few of the bigger shows.
Did Ilia Topuria quit the White House card?
I’m not sure. It was confusing, because I’m sure I heard his brother say in the corner, “No, he’ll fight to the end.” Then two seconds later it gets waved off.
When the camera turned around, I saw his brother with his hands like he was waving it off as well, so maybe I misheard. My guess is as good as anybody else’s. I’m not sure.
I don’t like to believe he quit. Maybe there was something wrong with him, like his vision or something. But yeah, I’m not sure.
