Michael “Venom” Page will face Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on Saturday 5 September 2026. The three-round contest is due to take place at middleweight inside the Accor Arena, with the main card currently scheduled to begin at 8pm BST.
This is more than another assignment for the Londoner. Page says it is the last fight on his existing UFC contract. He wants to stay with the promotion, chase bigger names and work towards a title, but no extension had been agreed when the bout was announced.
Ruziboev is a dangerous opponent on which to make that argument. The Uzbek fighter has won three in a row, finished 34 of his 37 victories and needed less than four minutes to submit Andrey Pulyaev in June. Page is also on a three-fight run, although every one of his five UFC appearances has reached the scorecards.
When Is Michael Venom Page’s Next Fight?
Michael Page’s next fight is against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on Saturday 5 September 2026.
Fight: Michael Page vs Nursulton Ruziboev
Event: UFC Fight Night: Parnasse vs Hooker
Date: Saturday 5 September 2026
Venue: Accor Arena, Paris
Division: Middleweight, 185lb
Distance: Three rounds
UK prelims: 7pm BST
UK main card: 8pm BST
Page fight time: To be confirmed
UK broadcaster: TNT Sports and discovery+
Page record: 25-3
Ruziboev record: 37-9-2, with two no contests
The UFC returns to Paris for the fifth consecutive year. Former two-division KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse will make his Octagon debut against Dan Hooker in the main event.
What Time Is Page vs Ruziboev in the UK?
The UFC currently lists the Paris prelims for 7pm BST and the main card for 8pm BST on Saturday 5 September. Page vs Ruziboev is expected to sit on the main card, but its exact position has not been fixed.
That means British viewers should treat 8pm as the start of the main portion of the event, not as Page’s walkout time. The bout may begin later depending on the final running order and the length of the earlier fights.
Paris is one hour ahead of the UK in September. The European setting avoids the overnight schedule attached to most American cards, making this one of the easier UFC events of the year for a British audience to follow live.
Dates and timings can move while a card is being assembled. Our regularly updated guide to the next UFC event tracks the live schedule as each fight night approaches.
How to Watch Michael Page vs Nursulton Ruziboev in the UK
UFC Paris is expected to be shown on TNT Sports and discovery+ in the UK. The precise TNT channel has not yet been added to the September listings.
TNT normally carries the prelims and main card, while discovery+ lets subscribers stream the event on compatible devices. Viewers should check the final programme guide during fight week in case the channel or start time changes.
Our complete guide to watching UFC in the UK explains the current TNT Sports and streaming options in more detail.
Is This Michael Page’s Final UFC Fight?
It is the final bout on Page’s current UFC deal, but he does not want it to be his last appearance for the promotion.
Speaking after the booking, Page said he hoped to earn an extension and wanted a clearer route towards bigger opponents and a title. No new contract talks had taken place at that stage. His immediate task, as he put it, is to deliver the sort of performance that makes the UFC want him back.
That matters after the reaction to his last outing. Page beat Sam Patterson by unanimous decision at UFC London in March, yet the contest never caught fire. The crowd booed the lack of activity and Dana White called it a bad fight. Page won, but he did not create the moment he wanted on home soil.
He now arrives in Paris with much less room for a quiet victory. A clever points win would extend his run to four, although another cautious contest may not strengthen his bargaining position. Chasing entertainment for its own sake would be just as dangerous against an opponent with Ruziboev’s finishing record.
Page has already earned a place in our ranking of the greatest British UFC fighters. What remains uncertain is whether his late-career UFC chapter ends as an interesting detour or develops into a real title push.
Why Is Michael Page Fighting at Middleweight?
Page has moved between welterweight and middleweight since joining the UFC. His first two Octagon appearances came at 170lb, where he beat Kevin Holland and lost a close decision to Ian Machado Garry.
With welterweight opponents proving difficult to secure, Page stepped up to 185lb. He handed Shara Magomedov his first professional defeat in February 2025, then outpointed former title challenger Jared Cannonier six months later. Both were strong results against physically larger men.
Page returned to welterweight for the Patterson fight, only to be booked back at middleweight in Paris. He is 6ft 3in with a 79in reach, so the division does not make him look undersized in the usual sense.
Ruziboev is taller at 6ft 5in, but his listed reach is three inches shorter. He has competed in both divisions too. His only UFC loss came when he dropped to welterweight to face Joaquin Buckley; all five of his UFC wins have come at middleweight.
Some early event listings labelled Page vs Ruziboev as a welterweight fight. More recent coverage and the fighters’ current event profiles place it at middleweight. The official weigh-in target must still be checked before publication.
Michael Page Record and Recent Form
Page enters UFC Paris with 25 wins and three defeats. Thirteen victories have come by knockout, three by submission and nine by decision. He has never been submitted.
The 39-year-old joined the UFC after a long Bellator career built around speed, distance and spectacular finishes. His flying-knee knockout of Evangelista Santos remains the image many fans associate with him. UFC opposition has forced a more measured version of the same style.
Page has gone 4-1 inside the Octagon. Kevin Holland struggled to read his movement on debut. Ian Machado Garry then used takedowns and control to hand him a decision loss at UFC 303. Page responded by beating Magomedov and Cannonier at middleweight before dropping back down to outpoint Patterson.
The numbers capture why he is awkward. Page lands only 2.28 significant strikes per minute, but absorbs 1.51. His 58% striking accuracy and 62% defence reflect a fighter who waits for clear openings rather than building his game around volume.
The Patterson performance remains the concern. Page landed enough clean work to win 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, yet neither man consistently forced the issue. Against Ruziboev, another slow start could allow the Uzbek fighter to close distance or bank control time.
Nursulton Ruziboev Record and Recent Form
Ruziboev has a 37-9-2 record with two no contests. His 13 knockout wins and 21 submissions leave only three victories on the judges’ cards. Twenty-six of his wins have ended in the first round.
Those totals come from an unusually busy career that began in 2014 and has moved across several divisions and promotions. The record contains uneven opposition, but his UFC run has added substance to the raw numbers.
Ruziboev knocked out Brunno Ferreira, Sedriques Dumas and Eric McConico, then outpointed Dustin Stoltzfus. His sole Octagon defeat came against Joaquin Buckley at welterweight in May 2024. Buckley denied the submission threat, pushed a higher pace and won a clear decision.
After more than a year without a completed fight, Ruziboev returned against Andrey Pulyaev at UFC Baku in June. He caught a body kick, turned it into a takedown, took the back and finished a rear-naked choke at 3:58 of the opening round.
UFC Stats credits him with 2.38 significant strikes landed and 2.68 absorbed per minute. He averages 1.36 takedowns per 15 minutes and has landed 80% of his recorded attempts, albeit across a small sample. The 33% takedown defence figure is less flattering, although Page rarely builds his plan around wrestling.
Page vs Ruziboev Style Breakdown
The height measurements suggest a long-range striking match. The actual contest is less straightforward.
Page stands side-on, changes rhythm and attacks from distances that do not look available. His lead leg flicks towards the body and knee, while the straight right and darting left hook punish opponents who follow him in a straight line. He does not need to win a high-volume exchange; he wants one clean shot as the other man enters.
Ruziboev is an orthodox fighter with a more conventional stance, yet his threat stretches well beyond his hands. He can catch kicks, lock his hands around the body and move quickly to the back. Twenty-one submission wins are too many to dismiss as a secondary part of his game.
The reach is a curious detail. Ruziboev is two inches taller, but Page owns the longer arms. If MVP controls the outside and keeps his back away from the fence, the taller man may still be the one struggling to reach.
The Garry fight showed the other side. Page can be grounded when an opponent times his movement and commits to control rather than chasing him through open space. Ruziboev does not need to become a pressure wrestler for 15 minutes. One caught kick or body lock could be enough to take a round or expose the back.
Why Michael Page Can Win
Ruziboev has rarely faced a striker who creates Page’s angles. The Uzbek fighter absorbs more significant strikes than he lands, and his 49% striking defence leaves gaps for an accurate counter-puncher.
Page also has the better evidence against high-level strikers. Magomedov could not solve his movement, while Cannonier was made to reset repeatedly. Both men carried real middleweight power and neither managed to trap him for long.
Patience should help Page on the scorecards, provided it does not become inactivity. Quick single shots, a straight exit and immediate separation from the fence can make Ruziboev’s first attack miss before the grappling begins.
Why Nursulton Ruziboev Can Win
Ruziboev owns the clearer finishing route. Page has not stopped anybody in five UFC fights, whereas four of the Uzbek fighter’s five Octagon wins have ended early.
He can also make the contract situation uncomfortable. If Page feels obliged to produce a show, he may stay in the pocket longer or throw the sort of committed kick that Ruziboev caught against Pulyaev.
Size in the clinch matters more than height at range. Ruziboev can push Page towards the fence, connect his hands and force him to defend several threats at once. A takedown is dangerous; conceding the back is worse.
Page vs Ruziboev Odds
BetVictor had not opened a public Page vs Ruziboev market when this article was researched on 28 July 2026. The fight remains more than a month away, and the final division and bout order still require fight-week confirmation.
Once prices are available, the main options should include fight winner, method of victory, total rounds and whether the bout goes the distance. Check the latest UFC betting markets and odds before placing any bet.
The most interesting price may be Page by decision. All five of his UFC appearances have gone the distance, including two middleweight wins. Ruziboev by submission is the obvious alternative because it follows both his career record and the clearest vulnerability shown in Page’s loss to Garry.
Those are matchup angles, not guarantees. The article should be updated with current BetVictor prices before publication, and odds may move after the weigh-in.
Page vs Ruziboev Prediction
The prediction is Michael Page to win by decision.
Ruziboev is the more dangerous finisher and the younger man by seven years. He can change the fight with a single grappling sequence, and Page cannot afford to give away the back while trying to scramble.
Page’s advantages are less dramatic but easier to repeat across three rounds. He has the longer reach, absorbs far fewer clean strikes and has already outpointed two credible middleweights. Ruziboev’s loss to Buckley also showed that his huge finishing record does not always translate when an opponent survives the early threat and makes him work at a less comfortable pace.
I expect Page to keep the centre open, score with straight counters and refuse extended combinations. Ruziboev should have moments against the fence and may take a round if he establishes top position. Over 15 minutes, however, Page’s accuracy and control of distance can produce the cleaner work.
It may not be the contract-saving spectacle Page says he wants. The sensible route is to win first. Three-round non-title fights use the same 10-point must framework explained in our guide to UFC rules and judging, with effective striking and grappling carrying the greatest weight.
Prediction: Michael Page by unanimous decision.
UFC Paris 2026 Fight Card
Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC debut against Dan Hooker headlines the Paris card over five rounds at lightweight. It will be Parnasse’s first appearance inside the Octagon after a title-winning run in KSW.
The current supporting card includes:
- Michael Page vs Nursulton Ruziboev
- Morgan Charriere vs Felipe Lima
- Nathaniel Wood vs Mairon Santos
- Losene Keita vs Muhammad Naimov
- Oumar Sy vs Modestas Bukauskas
- Mario Pinto vs Ryan Spann
- Kurtis Campbell vs Trevor Peek
- Fabia Sintes vs Michael Aljarouj
- Matthieu Duclos vs Luis Felipe Dias
- Nora Cornolle vs Klaudia Sygula
The bout order remains provisional. Injuries, withdrawals and replacements can alter a UFC card at any stage, so every matchup should be rechecked shortly before publication.
Before Paris, Islam Makhachev defends his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry. Our UFC 330 preview covers the full Philadelphia card, UK timings and latest market.
Betting markets and prices may change. Please gamble responsibly.
