Michael “Venom” Web page desires to compete once more earlier than 2025 is over, and he’s gone so far as concentrating on one of many quickest rising stars within the welterweight division as his subsequent opponent.
Following a pair of spectacular wins at middleweight over Shara “Bullet” Magomedov and Jared Cannonier, the previous Bellator title contender revealed plans to return to his outdated stomping grounds at welterweight. Web page talked about the all the time thrilling Carlos Prates as a possible matchup after they each picked up wins at UFC 319 however the promotion opted to ebook him towards Leon Edwards at UFC 322 as a substitute.
So Web page wasted no time calling for one more potential matchup with hopes that he’ll get to battle once more earlier than the calendar flips over to 2026.
“I really requested for an undefeated fighter, I’m simply going to begin taking out all people — Michael Morales, he’s like 18-0,” Web page mentioned forward of the Complete Kombat occasion he’s selling in his native England. “Once more, simply silence.
“I believed it will be good. Me battle him after which I battle the winner of Leon and Prates hopefully within the U.Ok.”
As of now, Web page says he hasn’t heard any response from his request to battle Morales, who’s coming off a blistering win over one-time title challenger Gilbert Burns in his most up-to-date outing.
In some ways, Web page believes he’s caught in a troublesome spot, as a result of at 38, he is aware of he’s not one of many youthful fighters within the division however he’s at present 3-1 within the UFC along with his solely loss coming in an in depth determination to Ian Machado Garry again in 2024. Outdoors of that, Web page has taken out two prime middleweights and a veteran in Kevin Holland, which suggests he’s going to be a troublesome out for anyone the UFC throws at him.
“It’s bizarre,” Web page mentioned. “I really feel like I’m in a really tough area. The tough area is I really feel just like the UFC, I assume due to my age and the timing of issues, they’re considering he’s bought an excellent model, I may very well be the gatekeeper to assist develop their fighters after which I began beating them. It’s like we don’t need to try this anymore. The blokes which can be extra senior, like myself, they’ve been in there a very long time simply don’t need to battle me.
“I discussed, I’m completely satisfied to battle Prates, it was no telephone name, no nothing. Then abruptly, he’s bought a battle. I’m in a little bit of a bizarre space in the meanwhile. You could begin to see me name out lots of people simply to try to make one thing occur.”
Ideally, Web page admits he wish to return to the UK for a battle in 2026 however he doesn’t count on the UFC to return there till at the least March. If he doesn’t battle once more till then, Web page would sit on the shelf for practically seven months.
That’s why he desires to get one other battle earlier than 2025 is over after which Web page can flip his full consideration in direction of a doable return to the U.Ok. subsequent yr.
“I simply need to get yet one more on this aspect of the yr earlier than the New 12 months,” Web page mentioned. “However I don’t actually see that many individuals’s arms up. Let’s see what occurs.
“They all the time come again to the U.Ok. in March. That is why I need to get yet one more in earlier than the top of this yr. I do know if I don’t get a battle now, they’re going to make me wait till March and I need to be lively. I’m simply pushing to try to get something going.”
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