"Very happy year for me" - Michael 'Venom' Page shares his blueprint for the UFC's potential return to Manchester
Michael 'Venom' Page recently opened up on his UFC debut and hinted at a potential return to action at the promotion's rumored return to Manchester, England.
The former Bellator welterweight title challenger is coming off his impressive unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland at UFC 299, which resulted in him breaking into the UFC's welterweight rankings at No.13. While speaking to CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, 'MVP' mentioned that there has been interest in him competing on the Manchester card. He went on to outline his plans for the remainder of 2024, saying:
"There's talks of me coming back for the U.K. show in Manchester. That's July, I believe and I think that's plenty of time for me to come back...If I could get on [the Manchester card in] July, come out relatively unscathed again, jump in again in September, that would be a very happy year for me." [12:22 - 12:58]
Page proved that he belongs in the UFC after putting his exceptional striking on full display against Holland, and is likely to seek a big name for his next outing. Another impressive win over a ranked opponent could propel him to the title picture at 170 pounds.
Check out the full interview below:
Michael 'Venom' Page doesn't regret taking a longer path to the UFC
Michael 'Venom' Page doesn't have any regrets over the path he chose for his MMA career, as he believes it was well worth the wait.
For years, 'MVP' had been one of Bellator's top homegrown stars and continued to hone his craft in the promotion rather than departing for the UFC sooner. During the aforementioned interview, Page mentioned that he is content with the way his career has gone and doesn't dwell on what-ifs. He said:
"I genuinely could have come to the UFC earlier...three years earlier, maybe. But like I said, I don't like to dwell on decisions that I can't change or I can't fix. I'm based on what I had just done now. I've definitely done it the right way. I think everybody is excited for me to be back in there. I'm eager to get back in there myself. So yeah, I think I've done it the right way." [5:56 - 6:28]