Michael "Venom" Page has a rather strange problem: he wins almost every time, but that might not be enough to guarantee his continuity in UFC.
MVP defeated Nursulton Ruziboev by unanimous decision in UFC Paris and raised his record within the company to an excellent 5-1. On paper, practically nothing to reproach.
The reality was quite different.
The Accor Arena crowd ended up booing a fight with long periods of inactivity, few really dangerous actions and virtually no sense that Page was willing to take the risk necessary to seek a finish.
The statistics help to understand the frustration: MVP landed only 12 significant punches during the three rounds.
And it is not a problem exclusive to Paris.
Page came to UFC with a reputation built around his unpredictable moves and some spectacular knockouts. However, after six fights in the company he still hasn't scored a single finish.
Five wins. One loss. Zero finishes.
An excellent sporting balance that hides a major problem for a company that also sells entertainment.
Page fights to win and his style works. He keeps a huge distance, waits for the opponent's attack, enters with enormous speed, scores and disappears again before receiving the answer.
The problem arises when the opponent does not want to expose himself either.
Then the fight can turn into fifteen minutes of feints, movements and isolated actions where Page continues to be technically superior, but practically disappears any possibility of knockout.
That was exactly what happened again in Paris.
And this time there is an especially important detail: it was the last fight of MVP's current contract with UFC.
That is why the situation is so peculiar.
Normally a fighter with a 5-1 record within UFC and four consecutive wins would be practically assured of a renewal.
With Page it doesn't seem so simple.
The Briton himself has acknowledged after the fight that he needs to change.
MVP believes that he is being too precise and conservative, that at certain times he feels that he is holding back and that he needs to take more risks. His intention now is to partially modify his style to generate more volume and make his opponents feel comfortable enough to enter into trades.
The reflection makes a lot of sense.
Page seems to have encountered a paradox.
Their style is so awkward that many opponents prioritize surviving and avoiding their counterattacks. But Page isn't willing to give up his distance to chase them either.
The result is that no one is exposed.
And no one falls.
The MVP himself acknowledges that he needs to return to the gym and find a solution because he knows that he can offer much more.
She has also admitted something even more revealing: UFC was no longer particularly satisfied with some of her previous performances and the Paris fight will hardly have changed that perception.
Now he will have to sit down with the company to negotiate his future.
And here appears one of the most interesting discussions around UFC.
Should you automatically renew a fighter who wins?
Sportingly, it is difficult to justify the departure of someone with a 5-1 record and demonstrated ability to compete against high-level opponents.
But UFC has never functioned solely as a sports classification.
You need fighters who generate interest, sell tickets, produce memorable moments, and build new fights.
Page turned 39 in April and probably no longer has time for a slow rebuild. If UFC bet on him again, he will need to quickly prove that there is still that MVP capable of turning a match into a highlight.
His talent continues to be evident.
The problem is that lately so is boredom.
Michael Venom Page has found an excellent formula to win fights.
Now he needs to find another one so that the public will want to see them.