TLDR
- Israel Adesanya criticized UFC for releasing Michael Page after a 5-1 run while keeping Tai Tuivasa on an eight-fight losing streak
- Page fought out his contract at UFC Fight Night 287 with a win but was not re-signed by the promotion
- Adesanya argued Page’s only loss came against Ian Garry, who recently fought Islam Makhachev
- Tai Tuivasa tied the UFC record for longest losing streak at eight consecutive defeats
- Demetrius Johnson agreed with Adesanya that UFC should keep winning fighters over losing ones
Sources: yardbarker.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has publicly criticized the promotion for releasing Michael Page while keeping Tai Tuivasa on the roster.
Page fought out his UFC contract at UFC Fight Night 287 earlier this month with a decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev. Despite finishing his UFC run with a 5-1 record, the promotion chose not to re-sign him.
“It’s unfortunate. They cut Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and they don’t cut Bam Bam (Tai Tuivasa),” Adesanya said on his “Precision Podcast” with Demetrius Johnson.
Tuivasa recently suffered his eighth consecutive loss at UFC 331, tying Tony Ferguson for the longest losing streak in UFC history. The Australian heavyweight has not won a fight in more than four years.
YOU CAN’T SCRIPT THIS 😭 Israel Adesanya and Demetrious Johnson started laughing in PERFECT sync after hearing the UFC 332 main event. pic.twitter.com/gx5DcEvhhU
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) September 23, 2026
Adesanya Defends Page’s UFC Performance
Adesanya argued that Page’s only loss came against Ian Garry, who recently competed against pound-for-pound ranked fighter Islam Makhachev.
“I felt like they got it wrong on that one because he only lost to Ian Garry, who just went toe to toe with the pound-for-pound No. 1, Islam,” Adesanya explained.
The former champion said Page presents a unique challenge that makes opponents hesitant to engage. He compared the situation to his own experience, particularly his title defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 248.
“Michael is just a hard man to kill, and everyone that fights him – I know this because I’ve done this to people,” Adesanya said. “I’m not the same style as Michael, but I’ve been in fights where I just know this guy just doesn’t want to attack me.”
Adesanya believes the UFC should have given Page more time to develop his style for the promotion. He referenced fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre, who faced early criticism before gaining widespread appreciation.
“You have to let people cook, give them time,” Adesanya said. “Like, Michael, yeah, I understand he was a big investment from Bellator. He’s getting paid well, and he’s delivering, I think, because he’s winning.”
Page was disappointed that he did not receive any communication from UFC executives. He found out about the promotion’s decision the same way fans did, when Dana White publicly stated they were not interested in re-signing him.
The Case for Tuivasa’s Continued Employment
Tuivasa had previously produced five consecutive knockout victories before his current losing streak. His win over Derrick Lewis in 2022 came during that successful run.
Dana White addressed Tuivasa’s situation after UFC 331. “We love Tai. We love him. He’s a great guy,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “Tonight, the first round of that fight was incredible, and yeah, he’s a good guy.”
Demetrius Johnson agreed with Adesanya’s assessment during their podcast discussion. “I think they should have kept MVP. You keep the guys who are winning,” Johnson said. “If you want to cut them, wait till they lose, then cut them. But don’t cut somebody.”
Johnson also questioned whether Page’s past criticism of UFC fighter pay played a role in the decision. “If the UFC cut him because it was fighter pay or they didn’t want to re-sign with him or work with him,” Johnson said.
Page had expressed interest in fighting ranked opponents after breaking into the middleweight rankings. He wanted an opportunity to showcase his skills against top-tier competition but will not receive that chance in the UFC.
