“I Felt Disrespected”: Michael Page Opens Up On Viral UFC London Walkout, Says Song Choice Reflected Frustration
Michael Page admitted his walkout song was a deliberate choice aimed at sending a message in his last outing.
Page squared off against fellow Englishman Sam Patterson on the main card of UFC London last weekend. Although “Venom” secured a unanimous decision victory, the bout proved to be underwhelming, with a lack of action from both fighters, drawing boos inside The O2 Arena and criticism across social media.
However, even before the lackluster bout unfolded, Page had already grabbed attention with his walkout, making his way to the Octagon to Michael Jackson’s iconic 1995 track “They Don’t Care About Us”, a song widely recognized as a powerful protest anthem highlighting injustice.
MMA fans on social media quickly questioned the intent behind the 38-year-old Brit’s song choice, especially given his recent frustration with UFC matchmaking, both over being paired with a former teammate and feeling slighted by the fight’s placement on the card.
Now, Michael Page has made it clear that the decision was intentional.
Michael Page Admits Frustration With UFC Matchmaking After Feeling Overlooked
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Michael Page weighed in on his decision to walk out to a Michael Jackson track at UFC London, acknowledging it was a subtle form of protest stemming from his frustration at being placed lower on the card despite his track record and popularity.
“I’ve spoken about being frustrated in terms of the decisions that were made,” Page said. “I think the main one for me was the fact that they put a young kid, who is super talented, but has only had one fight in the UFC, as a co-main event. I felt disrespected. The effort in what I’ve delivered for the fans, even in that same arena and other arenas around the world.
“Even if I haven’t necessarily gotten the finish yet, I’ve delivered some really entertaining fights, given a lot to people to speak about, and made a lot of noise. To be like, ‘Ah, he’s not co-main, he’s not main, in his own backyard.’ I think the majority of the people out there were to see me. Although I didn’t deliver, they were there to come and see what MVP had to show. It was a bit of annoyance, so I felt [the song] was relevant.”
With the victory over Sam Patterson, Michael Page has now extended his winning streak to three fights inside the Octagon, with his lone setback in the promotion coming via unanimous decision against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024. “Venom” now stands at 4-1 in the UFC and 25-3 overall.
