Michael Venom Page has some business to handle with the UFC, but first he’s got somebody to kick in the face.
With his contract situation still unresolved, Page enters UFC Paris against Nursulton Ruziboev knowing Saturday night could play a major role in what comes next. Instead of worrying about negotiations, however, MVP wants to remind the UFC and fight fans exactly why they wanted him here in the first place, and preferably do it in the most Michael Venom Page way possible.
“It’s something to do with that after the fight. We’re in fight mode now, that’s not important, it has to be done before I get here this week,” Page told reporters on Wednesday.
“It’s not something that I’m interested in when I’m here. The most important thing is Saturday, getting the result that I want, getting the win, and leaving a lasting impression.”
Page isn’t talking like a guy with one foot out the door. He still has plenty he wants to accomplish in the UFC, even if he admits the relationship hasn’t gone exactly how he pictured it, so the solution is pretty simple. Keep showing up and, in true MVP fashion, keep kicking people in the face.
“There’s so much left for me to do, I’m excited to do, I’m still buzzing to be in this game,” he said.
“But then there’s also I feel like I haven’t delivered what I wanted to deliver. We don’t seem to be as aligned as I thought we would be. Maybe in the beginning I felt like we were, and something’s changed, but either way the goal is keep stepping out here and keep kicking people in the face.”
Page knows MMA fans have short memories, and in this sport you’re basically only as good as whatever you did five minutes ago. So for MVP this one is about putting on the kind of performance that reminds the UFC and everybody watching exactly why they were so damn excited when he showed up in the first place.
“Everyone always remembers the last performance. So this performance is key to do exceptionally well for all of the above, but for me personally, specifically, to remind the UFC why they brought me to this organization,” said Page.
“Remind the world as well. Remind the fans that oh yeah MVP can do this. Get them excited about seeing me again.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Michael Venom Page above. He faces Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on Saturday night.
