Michael Page slams ‘entitlement issues’ among top UFC welterweights

Michael Page has grown frustrated with what he calls entitlement and tactical maneuvering among top UFC welterweights, prompting the former Bellator star to pursue fights at middleweight instead. Page, who is 4-1 in the UFC, took the approach after high-ranked 170-pound fighters repeatedly declined matchups while waiting for title-shot opportunities.

Page's lone UFC loss came against Ian Garry, the previous title challenger, followed by oddly-booked middleweight bouts against Sharabutdin Magomedov and Jared Cannonier. A subsequent welterweight return against unranked Sam Patterson proved uninspiring. Page contends that multiple ranked welterweights are deliberately avoiding fights to position themselves for title shots, creating a logjam of inactivity.

"There's too many people wasting time at welterweight at the moment. Too many people with entitlement issues," Page said. "They believe that they should be the next in line. And so, they're going to wait."

While acknowledging that winning a championship remains his ultimate goal, Page rejects such calculated fighting. "Everyone's goal is the belt, but there's no need to be this tactical about it," he explained. Page will next face Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on September 5, aiming to make a statement in his return to middleweight.