October 22, 2023 9:50 am ET
ABU DHABI – “MVP” could be headed to the UFC.
One of the biggest homegrown stars in Bellator history, Michael Page has been a free agent for months. In March, he was shown on the UFC 286 broadcast. It’s a rarity for the UFC to go out of its way to acknowledge potential free agents.
At Thursday’s UFC 294 pre-fight news conference, Page posted a photo with UFC president Dana White, which furthered speculation of a budding business relationship between the two parties. Following UFC 294 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, White confirmed the two sides are in talks – and there’s interest from both.
“Listen, he’s a kid that we’re definitely interested in and he’s interested, too. So, possibly,” White said on whether or not “MVP” will head to the UFC.
Page, 36, has long expressed his desire to compete in the UFC before his career concludes. Even during his Bellator peak, Page openly acknowledged this. His relationship with Bellator was up and down over the years, as he publicly vented frustrations about the promotion on multiple occasions.
Should he sign with the UFC, Page will compete outside of Bellator for the first time since May 2014 when he signed with the promotion. He only lost twice under the Bellator banner; a knockout loss to Douglas Lima and a split decision to Logan Storley. Page also partook in a one-off bareknuckle boxing bout for BKFC when he lost a majority decision to Mike Perry.
Page looks to extend his winning streak to two. He most recently competed at Bellator 292 in August 2023 when he devastated Goiti Yamauchi’s leg with a single kick.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
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