Israel Adesanya upset by UFC's treatment of Michael 'Venom' Page

Michael ‘Venom’ Page‘s release from the UFC has caused unrest.

One of the best in the world during his time in the octagon, Page collected five wins from six, with his sole defeat coming against title challenger Ian Machado Garry. Speculation about the company not re-signing him hung over his head as he entered the final fight of his contract at UFC Paris. Another win against a tough opponent followed, but that wasn’t the talking point of the night. Yet again, Page failed to dazzle, and the matchmakers had seen enough.

No contract renewal leaves Michael ‘Venom’ Page in free agency. Unhappy with his release, Israel Adesanya compared it to Tai Tuivasa‘s situation with the UFC. Tuivasa remains with the company despite enduring an eight-fight losing streak.

“It’s unfortunate. They cut Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and they don’t cut [Tai Tuivasa]… The UFC is a different business. They, the brass themselves, go on a case-by-case basis. They’re human beings, man. I’ve had my dealings with my managers in the UFC, and I’ve heard stories of how they get deals done, you know? I’m sure there’s a lot of bodies buried in the desert. But with Michael ‘Venom’ Page, I feel like they got it wrong on that one because he only lost to Ian Garry, who just went toe-to-toe with the pound-for-pound number one, Islam.”

“Michael is just a hard man to kill. And everyone that fights him- I know this because I’ve done this to people- I’m not the same style as Michael. But I’ve been in fights where I just know this guy just doesn’t want to attack me. This guy is just waiting. He’s waiting for me to come to him. But I’m touching the guy. I’m peppering the guy, and I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m hitting you. You’ve got to come to me.’ But they just want a freebie, and this is not a freebie.”

Adesanya continued:

“You have to let people cook, give them time. Like, Michael, yeah, I understand he was a big investment from Bellator. He’s getting paid well. And he’s delivering, I think, ’cause he’s winning. But maybe they weren’t seeing what they were seeing in Bellator, and they were hoping for that kind of excitement… I find it exciting.”