Michael “Venom” Page says fans will see the best version of him when he meets Sam Patterson at UFC London on 21 March, even as he questions how the UFC is handling his career. The 38‑year‑old welterweight returns to 170 pounds at the O2 Arena on a card headlined by Movsar Evloev vs Lerone Murphy, with Page facing fellow Brit Patterson in a three‑round bout.
Page told MMA Junkie he did not ask for this matchup and felt it came from lower down the ladder than the fights he has been chasing. “With regards to the fight, it’s not one that I expected or was even looking for,” he said, adding that Patterson “feels a bit further down the ladder” and is “somebody that I’ve worked with before in preparation for other fights, so I know him well.”
Michael Venom Page eyes highlight‑reel night after “Annoying” UFC London booking
That prior history is one reason he “didn’t believe I was going to have to be in his way in his career and his progression,” even though he remains “a fan of his” and has “a lot of respect for Sam.”
The Londoner made clear he joined the UFC to chase big names and higher‑profile opportunities. “I came here for the big fights. I came here for big names,” he said, explaining that since his last fight he has “been asking for absolutely everybody,” only to hear that potential opponents are already matched or uninterested. Page suggested he “doesn’t feel in good favor with the UFC at the moment,” pointing to what he sees as a “weird” opponent choice and placement on the London card that does not reflect his name value at home.
On paper, Page is dropping back to welterweight after proving he could compete at middleweight, where he outpointed Shara Magomedov and Jared Cannonier in 2025. He is 24‑3 as a professional and ranked at 170, having signed with the promotion in late 2023 and debuted with a win over Kevin Holland before a decision loss to Ian Machado Garry.
Patterson, 29, arrived via Dana White’s Contender Series and is on a four‑fight first‑round finishing streak at welterweight, mixing knockouts and submissions to surge into relevance.
Despite his frustration, Page sees Patterson as a real threat and framed his mindset accordingly. “Sam is a dangerous young up‑and‑coming fighter,” he said, noting Patterson’s “dangerous submission game” and “few tricky submissions I need to be super careful of.” The key question, in Page’s view, is whether Patterson can navigate the striking exchanges to force grappling exchanges: “The problem is: can he get me to the floor? He’s going to have to be able to strike to even get to me.” Page said Patterson must be “good enough on that day to get to me, to get a takedown, to then go for the submission” without walking “into something horrible.”
Page is open that this booking does little for his ranking ambitions, beyond the chance to add another viral finish. “I’m just not sure what winning a fight like this means outside of a potential highlight reel,” he admitted, calling it “not the most exciting one for me.”
Still, he insists “the show must go on,” vowing to “go in there, do what I do best, put on a performance, and then try to push forward.” To him, that starts with treating Patterson like an elite opponent: “I respect him a lot, which is why I’m going to be the best MVP anybody’s ever seen on that day. In my eyes, I’m fighting a world champion.”
