Michael 'Venom' Page Calls for MMA Fighters to Unionize
Michael "Venom" Page has a new message for his fellow fighters now that he is outside the UFC: stand together. Speaking to BBC Sport, the British striker said he believes a fighters' union may be what is needed to improve how competitors are treated in mixed martial arts.
Page arrived in the UFC in 2024 after a lengthy Bellator run in which he recorded a long series of knockout wins. He did not score a knockout in the UFC: he won four of his five UFC appearances but went the distance every time, and the company chose not to renew his contract last month. He has since signed with Misfits Boxing and says the new deal pays him significantly more than he earned in the UFC.
Moving as one
Page argued that the focus should shift from individuals speaking out to fighters organizing. "It's less about speaking out now, it's more about forming a union and coming together," he said. In his view, if every fighter refused to compete, the promotion could not exist, and athletes should remember that they are the parts that keep the machine running. He added that frustration over pay is rarely voiced by fighters themselves because they fear backlash from promoters.
A wider debate about pay
The UFC has long faced accusations that it underpays athletes. The UFC is in the first year of a seven-year, 7.7 billion dollar deal to stream on Paramount+ in the United States and agreed in 2024 to a 375 million dollar settlement of a class action lawsuit that alleged anticompetitive behavior to suppress fighter pay. Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland recently vented about the pay structure, while Dana White dismissed his complaints.
Page also said the UFC has become quicker to release fighters who do not consistently finish, suggesting skill alone no longer guarantees a place. Undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat, released despite an unbeaten run, has made similar remarks. Page, who fought most of his career in Bellator, says the answer is collective action rather than individual complaints.