Israel Adesanya: UFC 'got it wrong' by not re-signing Michael Page
Israel Adesanya finds it unfortunate that Michael Page was let go by the UFC.
Page (26-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) fought out his contract at UFC Fight Night 287 earlier this month when he outpointed Nursulton Ruziboev. After a 5-1 octagon tenure, the UFC did not re-sign Page.
Page was disappointed that he didn't even get a conversation with UFC brass and found out the same way everyone else did when Dana White said they weren't interested. Adesanya called the situation unfortunate, and he can relate to Page's frustration with opponents failing to engage, especially when he had a lackluster title defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 248.
"The UFC is a different business," Adesanya said on his "Precision Podcast." "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? Iβm sure there's a lot of bodies buried in the desert. But with Michael 'Venom' Page, I felt 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 No. 1, Islam (Makhachev).
"Michael is just a hard man to kill, and everyone that fights him β 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."
A disappointed Page was not getting the step up in competition he desired after getting ranked as a UFC middleweight. He wanted another opportunity to showcase what he can do, and Adesanya thinks the UFC should have granted him his wish.
"You have to let people cook, give them time," Adesanya added. "Like, Michael, yeah, I understand he was a big investment from Bellator. He's getting paid well, and he's delivering, I think, because he's winning. But maybe they weren't seeing what they were seeing in Bellator, and they were hoping for that kind of excitement. Look what he was doing against Kevin Holland, Jared Cannonier. I find it exciting."
