Jake Paul Wants Michael Page for MVP After UFC Cuts the 26-3 Vet

Michael Page is a free agent, and Jake Paul isn't wasting any time. The UFC opted not to re-sign the former Bellator star after his contract expired, with Dana White confirming the split on Tuesday following the latest Contender Series episode. A day later, Paul went public on Twitter, floating the idea of bringing Page to his soon-to-be-rebranded MVP MMA — a neat bit of wordplay given the fighter's own nickname.

Page leaves the promotion at 5-1 across his UFC run, part of a career mark of 26-3 with 13 knockouts and three submissions. His only stumble inside the Octagon came against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024 — no small blemish, considering Garry now sits at #1 in the welterweight rankings after his most recent title-picture bout with Islam Makhachev.

The timing is the story. Page just fought at UFC Paris on Saturday, taking a unanimous decision over Nursulton Ruziboev at middleweight. The result went his way; the reception didn't. Paris fans booed the matchup, and the broader consensus was that the fight was a slog — the kind of low-output outing that can quietly tank a fighter's stock even in a winning effort.

Paul's Recruitment Drive

Page, ranked #13 at welterweight before the release, responded to the criticism the way you'd expect from a man who's heard it all. He posted an Instagram shot of himself pushing a rock, framing it as his way of handling internet opinion. It's the same unbothered energy that's defined his career since the Bellator days.

Paul, meanwhile, keeps trying to stack his promotion with names. He's already pitched Khabib Nurmagomedov on fighting for MVP without success, and now he's angling for a striker with genuine highlight-reel pedigree. Whether Page bites is another matter — but a fighter fresh off a UFC exit and a rough Paris outing is exactly the kind of available talent Paul's operation is built to court.

For Paul himself, the recruiting push comes off a rough patch of his own. His last outing was a sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, dropping his boxing record to 12-2 with seven knockouts. Building a promotion is a different game than fighting in one — and landing a name like Page would be a real early statement for MVP.