Why Did Michael ‘Venom’ Page Leave Bellator for UFC? Real Reason Behind MMA Star’s Exit

Michael ‘Venom’ Page is going against Ian Garry at UFC 303. This would be his second bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 37-year-old has had a respectable career outside the UFC with a 21-2 record and now he will put his records’ legitimacy going up against a top fighter in the UFC.

Not too long ago, ‘Venom’ decided to join the UFC and fight Kevin Holland for his UFC debut. The fighter defeated Holland in style via a unanimous decision. Page before signing with the UFC was one of Bellator’s biggest draws. Having fought 19 fights in the promotion, most MMA fans were shocked to see the Londoner join the UFC. Here is what Michael Page had to say about his move to the UFC.

Reasons behind Michael Venom Page leaving Bellator

Needless to say, Michael ‘Venom’ Page was one of the most popular fighters for the Bellator promotion. This could be credited to the flashy fighting style of the 37-year-old, which garnered hundreds of millions of views across social media platforms. In all fairness, he could be one of the few MMA fighters that had a bigger name than the promotion he was fighting for.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani last year before signing with the UFC, ‘Venom’ stated that his contract with the Bellator promotion expired and he had held on to resigning from the promotion to see what his worth was in the market. Michael Page, however, revealed that Bellator still held a matching clause for new contract offers, but was hopeful that his old promotion wouldn’t make things hard for the fighter if he wished to pursue other possible options.

Page claimed that he had put a few options on the table as he could have returned to boxing or even bare-knuckle boxing. But given all the years he spent with the promotion, what are the chances that Bellator fans would get to see the ‘Venom’ return under the promotion’s banner again?

Will ‘Venom’ ever be back in Bellator?

Michael ‘Venom’ Page and the Bellator promotion have always had a good relationship with each other. Even when Page was a free agent, he didn’t rule out a return to Bellator. During the interview, Venom Page stated, “I think it’s time for me to just explore what else is out there. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to go back with Bellator. It just means I want to see what other people think of ‘MVP.’”

Even though the fighter previously tried his luck at bare-knuckle fighting under the banner of BKFC, things didn’t work out as planned. But his skills were not hidden when he stepped inside the Octagon. Now, given that the knockout artist is 37 years old and the sport MMA generally isn’t kind to older fighters, it might be possible that ‘Venom’ retires from MMA after his run in the UFC. With a single victory against Holland under his belt, MVP is now getting ready to face ‘The Future’.

How do you think Venom would fare against the charismatic UFC star, Ian Machado Garry, at UFC 303? Will we see him return to Bellator in the future? Drop down your thoughts in the comment section below.