Michael Bisping Advises Michael Page to Stay at Middleweight
Michael Bisping’s advice to Michael “Venom” Page after the Brit’s February 2025 win over Shara Magomedov was specific: stay at middleweight. Bisping’s reasoning, as reported at the time, centered on the welterweight division’s roster of accomplished wrestlers and the possibility that those matchups would challenge Page differently from the striking contest he had just won. It was an opinion about how to navigate a division, not a claim that Page had abandoned his own goal of competing at welterweight.
Page moved up to 185 pounds for the first time in his Octagon career to face Magomedov in Riyadh on February 1, 2025. He won a unanimous decision and handed Magomedov the first defeat of his professional MMA career. The result showcased Page’s counterstriking and movement over three rounds, but one successful middleweight outing could not by itself settle which division would best serve his longer-term plans.
Why Bisping favored middleweight
In comments published on February 4, Bisping pointed to the number of strong wrestlers at welterweight, mentioning Belal Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman as examples of opponents who could test Page with grappling. Bisping also praised Page’s performance against Magomedov, describing him as the better striker and the fighter who controlled the fight. The point was about possible matchup difficulty: at 170 pounds, elite wrestlers could force Page to defend takedowns and work in positions that his striking-focused style might not favor.
That was Bisping’s analysis, rather than a verified quote about Page’s size, power, speed or supposed lack of anything to prove. The evidence supports a narrower account: Bisping preferred the middleweight route because he saw more favorable matchups there, while Page had said he wanted to return to welterweight.
The video below is a pre-fight interview with Page hosted by Bisping and Paul Felder, ahead of the Magomedov bout. It provides context on the matchup and Page’s plans before the fight; it is not the source recording of Bisping’s February 4 post-fight advice.
Page’s results went both ways
Page then scored another middleweight decision against Jared Cannonier in August 2025; the official fighter record lists the result. He returned to welterweight in March 2026 and defeated Sam Patterson by unanimous decision. In September, Page fought Nursulton Ruziboev at middleweight in Paris and again won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 29–28, according to the official scorecards. That sequence shows he competed successfully in both divisions after Bisping’s recommendation; it does not prove that one weight class guaranteed an easier path.
Page’s time in the promotion ended after the Ruziboev win. In October 2026, he signed a multi-fight deal with Misfits Boxing, according to MMA Fighting. His final record in the promotion was 5–1, with decision wins over Kevin Holland, Magomedov, Cannonier, Patterson and Ruziboev, and a decision loss to Ian Machado Garry. The outcome makes the 2025 discussion historical: Bisping’s suggestion was one possible route Page could have taken, not a prediction that dictated his choices.
Advice is not a career plan
Weight-class decisions depend on the opponent, timing, preparation and the fighter’s own objectives. Bisping’s concern about welterweight wrestlers was a recognizable matchup argument, but Page’s record later included wins in both weight classes. The welterweight bout against Patterson and the middleweight meeting with Ruziboev also show that Page continued to move between divisions rather than settling permanently at 185 pounds.
For context, the official event records confirm the results against Cannonier and Ruziboev, while the promotion’s Page profile lists the Patterson decision. Contemporary reporting records Bisping’s reasoning and Page’s stated desire to return to welterweight.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
