Michael Page: Welterweight too congested, 'middleweight is where I want to be'
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PARIS – After bouncing around weight classes, Michael Page will settle at middleweight.
Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) meets Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a 185-pound bout on Saturday's UFC Fight Night 287 main card at Accor Arena (Paramount+). His most recent win came at welterweight when he defeated Sam Patterson in March.
Although Page is currently ranked No. 8 at middleweight, he continues to draw baffling matchups.
"It seems to be the common thing is like, we are sending forward suggestions, and we start at the top and one by one, it's like, this person's already fighting, this person's injured, this person whatever," Page told MMA Junkie. "There just seems to be something. We just keep working our way down, sending in more names, more names. It got to the point where we're like, who's available?
"And they sent forward a couple of names and he was one of the names. We're like, cool, take the fight. Sometimes they make suggestions, and I feel like I myself wasn't necessarily locked into – I was locked more into welterweight, but more of the opportunities were coming at middleweight, and that's where our kind of miscommunication with the UFC was happening a lot. But now, I think we're both clear that middleweight is where I want to be."
For Page, middleweight is where he sees himself making progression.
"It's less about a clearer path and more about being able to get more regular fights at middleweight, whereas welterweight seems very congested," Page said. "It seems like many people are sitting on the sidelines waiting for opportunities instead of fighting to create opportunities, and I can't be asked to be a part of that. So I said, yeah, let me go up to middleweight where I can enjoy what I do more."
At first, "MVP" didn't recognize who Ruziboev was, but realized he has watched him compete before. Ruziboev has finished 34 of his 37 professional fights, but Page heard that story before. Patterson had finished four-straight fights going into his matchup with Page, but his tentative approach led to a lackluster fight.
"I have actually seen him fight, but again, I'm not too obsessive of watching MMA," Page said. "So, it will be specific fights that I watch. But I have actually seen him before, just didn't realize it when I got the name. It was my coaches, like I said, they are obsessed with the game. They know everybody, everything they do, everything they eat, obsessed. So I kind of just rely on them to give me the analysis and tell me what I'm working with and then go from there. ...I always feel like this guy is going to be the person that's going to really bring it to me.
"And I go in there, they see this wacky style in front of them, they freeze, they become more defensive, they try to take the easy options during the fight and then survive the fight. And then I get punished for the fact that they survived the fight, but it's hard to finish someone that's not wanting to put themselves in any danger at all and just being completely defensive, but it is my job to then still figure out a way."
Page has failed to live up to the expectations in many people's eyes after dazzling fans with highlight-reel knockouts during his Bellator tenure. Although he's been winning in the UFC, he knows he has to make some changes as he enters the final fight on his UFC contract.
"I feel like just enjoy it more," Page said. "It sounds silly to say, but even when I've watched some my old fights, I was really just in my element, just living my best life, enjoying, not worried about the results. And I feel like ever since I've come to the UFC, I've been worrying about getting the right result, getting it done in the right way and this and that. And then I feel like I'm watching myself, and I don't seem like I'm enjoying it in the way that I used to.
"Of course you're going to get me some of my antics, but before it just felt like I was just in a flow and things just came out unexpectedly. Whereas now, again, I feel like I'm even trying to be myself and it's not natural. It's not feeling as natural. And I'm watching my new videos and watching old videos and I'm like, I can see the difference, I can feel the difference. So, I'm trying to get back to just going and enjoy it, take risks, try something crazy just because you can and just feel it in the moment. But I feel like, yeah, mentally I'm there and hopefully I can deliver."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michael Page: Welterweight too congested, 'middleweight is where I want to be'