Why Michael Page will be happy if Shara Magomedov shoots for takedown at UFC Saudi Arabia

Michael Page believes Shara Magomedov won’t resort to grappling him – at least not at the start.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] believes [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] won’t resort to grappling him – at least not at the start.

Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout that co-headlines UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+). Page is accustomed to having to defensively wrestle in his fights and even had to in his most recent outing against fellow striker Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June. Page lost the fight by unanimous decision.

But fending off takedowns against Magomedov? “MVP” isn’t sure if that will be the case.

“If he does (shoot), it means the fight is going my way and aggressively my way,” Page said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “Because I think he will be a lot more stubborn in believing in his ability. So I think I’d definitely be landing some crazy shots if he decides to go for a takedown.

“Because in his mind, he believes he’s the best when it comes to the striking game. It will take a few knocks before he decides to change that, and it might be too little, too late. So I doubt it, but I think he’ll be very bloodied up if he is going for a takedown.”

Magomedov is coming off a Knockout of the Year contender at UFC 308, when he landed a double backfist finish of Armen Petrosyan. 12 of his 15 professional wins have come by knockout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Saudi Arabia.

Every UFC newcomer in 2024: Full list of over 100 debuting fighters

Check out the names and records of each fighter who made their UFC debut in 2024.

Every year, the UFC welcomes new faces to the promotion.

Some will become ranked fighters, future title challengers, and possibly champions. A couple of names have already made a significant impact in their debut year.

Kayla Harrison, who is ranked No. 2 by the promotion in the women’s bantamweight division, is likely next up for a title shot. Carlos Prates claimed No. 14 in the welterweight division after ripping through four opponents.

On the flip side, unfortunately, some of the names will fizzle out and look to continue their careers in other promotions.

In 2024, the new names and faces reached triple digits, totaling 103. Those fighters went 46-57. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 29-39.

Check out the full list of debuting fighters and their records below:

UFC debuting fighters in 2024

  • [autotag]Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]AJ Cunningham[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Antonio Trocoli[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Baergeng Jieleyisi[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bekzat Almakhan[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bolaji Oki[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cameron Smotherman[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag] (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Changho Lee[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Charalampos Grigoriou[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cortavious Romious[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Danny Silva[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dariya Zheleznykova[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dione Barbosa[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]DongHun Choi[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dylan Budka[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ernesta Kareckaite[/autotag] (5-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Felipe Bunes[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Felipe Lima[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Feng Xiaocan[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Igor Severino[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ivan Erslan[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jordan Vucenic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jose Medina[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jose Ochoa[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kaan Ofli[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kiru Sahota[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Klaudia Sygula[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Lone’er Kavanagh[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Lucas Rocha[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Luis Pajuelo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Magomed Gadzhiyasulov[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mairon Santos[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mansur Abdul-Malik[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]MarQuel Mederos[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mitch Ramirez[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nathan Fletcher[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nyamjargal Tumendemberel[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Oumor Sy[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ozzy Diaz[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Pedro Falcao[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Puja Tomar[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ramon Taveras[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Rei Tsuruya[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robert Bryczek[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robert Valentin[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Roberto Romero[/autotag] (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ryan Loder[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Shi Ming[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Stephanie Luciano[/autotag] (6-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Stewart Nicoll[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]SuYoung You[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Thomas Petersen[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Victor Hugo[/autotag] (25-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Xiao Long[/autotag] (27-9 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Yi Zha[/autotag] (25-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zachary Scroggin[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zygimantas Ramaska[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)

Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia co-main event

Shara Magomedov is slightly favored to remain unbeaten at UFC Fight Night 250

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] will look to remain unbeaten when he welcomes [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] back to middleweight in the UFC Fight Night 250 co-main event.

Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page preview

Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) scored a Knockout of the Year contender when he landed a double backfist on Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 this past October. “Bullet” has finished 12 of his 15 professional wins by knockout.

Page (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will return to 185 pounds for the first time since April 2013. After beating Kevin Holland in his octagon debut at UFC 299, MVP was out-grappled in a close decision loss to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June.

Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page odds

According to DraftKings, Magomedov is a slight -148 favorite over Page, who’s listed as a +124 underdog.

How to watch Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page at UFC Saudi Arabia

  • When: Saturday, February 1, 2025
  • Where: ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

UFC adds Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page to Feb. 1 lineup in Riyadh

A striker’s delight between Shara Magomedov and Michael Page is headed to Riyadh.

A striker’s delight is headed to Riyadh.

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] at a UFC Fight Night 250 event Feb. 1 from ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+).

UFC CEO Dana White announced the middleweight co-headliner on Saturday.

Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) called out former champion Israel Adesanya after scoring a spectacular double backfist knockout of Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Adesanya dismissed Magomedov, but Page said he’d be happy to swoop in and take the fight – and he got his wish.

In his most recent fight, Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was outgrappled in a close decision loss to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June. “MVP” kept active by competing in a grappling match, where he defeated former WEC champion and former UFC interim champion Carlos Condit in the Polaris 30 main event earlier this month.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 250 lineup includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page
  • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Terrance McKinney
  • Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Jordan Leavitt
  • Lucas Alexander vs. Bogdan Grad
  • Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
  • Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Saudi Arabia.

Michael Page: UFC 310 version of Shavkat Rakhmonov would get ‘munched’ by Belal Muhammad

Michael Page expected more from Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] expected more from [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) scored a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s five-round welterweight co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Rakhmonov wasn’t able to maintain his 100 percent finish rate against Machado Garry in a fight that mainly played out in the clinch. After watching Rakhmonov go five rounds for the first time in his career, Page is confident that UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad would’ve had his way with him if their initially scheduled fight for UFC 310 happened.

“Rakhmonov couldn’t get anything,” Page said on his YouTube channel. “Landed some good shots, but his fitness and muscular endurance definitely let him down. His balance seems to be very off. This was definitely, by far, not the best Rakhmonov we’ve seen. Although he’s won it, I think anybody looking at this will look at him like, ‘Yeah, I can beat this guy.’

“Not saying he’s not dangerous. You can see he’s definitely a dangerous person, but this wasn’t good. This wasn’t his best performance. Even though he’s definitely won it. From both sides, it wasn’t great. … A hundred percent now, this Shavkat here, if he had fought Belal, Belal was munching him, yamming him for breakfast.”

Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is coming off a close decision loss to Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June. “MVP” is rumored to face Shara Magomedov at UFC Fight Night 250 Feb. 1 in Riyadh, although nothing is confirmed.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Michael Page interested to fight Shara Magomedov at middleweight: ‘I bet I get him to try to take me down’

Michael Page liked what he saw from Shara Magomedov at UFC 308 and would be willing to move up a division to fight him.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] would move up to middleweight to fight [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag].

Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) called out former champion Israel Adesanya after his spectacular knockout of Armen Petrosyan this past Saturday at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Adesanya told Magomedov to keep his name out of his mouth, but MVP is happy to swoop in and take that fight. He sees a fight between him and Magomedov being a striker’s delight.

“The hairs on the back of my neck went up when I heard Shara ‘Bullet’ call out my boy Izzy,” Page said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I was like, my boy Izzy is working on regaining that throne, let me jump in. I’m happy to do it. You’re talking about being the best striker. He says in his division, but right now I’m grappling in your division. So, why not? At 185, happy to jump up.”

Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who most recently was outgrappled in a close decision loss to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June, is keeping active by competing in a grappling match. He meets former WEC champion and former UFC interim champion Carlos Condit in the Polaris 30 main event on Saturday in London.

He was highly impressed with Magomedov’s double backfist finish of Petrosyan but is confident that “Bullet” would eventually try and grapple him if they fought.

“Absolutely beautiful, I really enjoyed that,” Page said. “And it was definitely something he’s drilled before, so I really like that. It’s a very nice shot. When it comes to striking, I just fear nobody. I bet I get him to try to take me down. He’s going to get panicky in some way, shape, or form. I bet he tries and takes me down, but if he doesn’t and just stands with me then I just think it’s going to be an exceptional MMA fight.”

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Michael Page vs. Carlos Condit grappling match to headline Polaris 30 in November

A grappling match between MMA standouts Michael Page and Carlos Condit is set to headline Polaris 30 on Nov. 2.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag] will square off but not in the octagon.

Page and Condit have been booked for a grappling match to main event Polaris 30 on Nov. 2 in London. The news was announced by promotion official through Ariel Helwani on Monday.

Page, currently an active UFC welterweight, is known for his flashy kicks and dangerous striking, but he will put his less-admired skill set to the test next month. Out of 25 career MMA fights, Page has only three submission wins and has never been submitted. He last competed in June at UFC 303, losing a close decision to Ian Machado Garry.

Condit retired from MMA in 2021 after a storied career. The former WEC champion and former UFC interim champion has yet to compete in combat sports since his retirement from MMA. “The Natural Born Killer” had 13 submission victories in MMA and six submission losses.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DA1dD-DhSlx/

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Carlos Prates claims UFC wants to offer him Michael Page, ‘but he doesn’t answer the phone’

Carlos Prates could have a big fight on the horizon.

[autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] could have a big fight on the horizon.

Prates earned his third-straight Performance of the Night bonus when he knocked out Li Jingliang in the second round at UFC 305 in August. He initially called out Khaos Williams, but is hinting that a bigger fight is potentially in the works.

Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) says the UFC is interested in booking him against top 15 ranked welterweight [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

“I heard that the company wants to give me @michaelvenompage, but he doesn’t answer the phone. You must be having nightmares by now!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_QgN08uXHv/

Page split his first two octagon appearances – a win over Kevin Holland at UFC 299, followed by a razor-thin decision loss to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303.

In a recent interview with Sherdog, Prates explained he once mimicked Page in training, so knows what to expect from his style. He helped former Bellator champion Douglas Lima, the lone fighter to knock out “MVP” in MMA.

“Michael Page would be a really good fight,” Prates said. “I would like to fight him. It would be a great bonus again. You know the first time he lost to Douglas Lima? I was a sparring partner of Douglas. I was doing like ‘MVP’ and Douglas was doing his game. Douglas and his coach came to Thailand and we trained all together. So it’s kind of I know the way to knock the guy out.”

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Video: Michael Page was beside himself watching Israel Adesanya in UFC 305 loss to Dricus Du Plessis

Do you ever just wish you could jump through the TV and knock some sense into somebody? That was MVP watching Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

Do you ever just wish you could jump through the TV and knock some sense into somebody? “Stop doing that!” That was [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] this past weekend as he watched his friend, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], stumble against Dricus Du Plessis.

While Adesanya had his moments against Du Plessis in the UFC 305 main event, he ultimately fell short of reclaiming the middleweight title after Du Plessis scored the submission win in Round 4. Up until then, the fight was relatively close. However, at least to Page, Adesanya kept making the same mistake over and over and over again with his footwork, which had MVP beside himself in frustration.

Check out his reaction in real time in the video below (via X):

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.

Michael Page considers who to fight next in UFC welterweight division ‘full of absolute killers’

Michael Page sees no shortage of viable options after losing his most recent fight to Ian Machado Garry.

MANCHESTER, England – UFC welterweight [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] is not one to call someone out but was happy to entertain a fan suggestion for his next fight.

After defeating Kevin Holland in his promotional debut at UFC 299 in March, Page (22-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) dropped a razor-thin decision to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in July.

MVP would like to fight one more time before the end of the year. When a fan shouted out the name [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC), Page welcomed the idea.

“One hundred percent I want to try and get back towards the end of the year,” Page said during the UFC 304 fan Q&A. “I’m not sure exactly when, but towards the end of the year I definitely want to try and get one more in before the start of the new year. Who? Who did you say? Let’s go, Gilbert Burns.”

Burns is currently scheduled to face Sean Brady in a UFC Fight Night main event Sept. 7 at the UFC Apex. If not Burns, Page hopes to draw any top-ranked welterweight next.

“The welterweight division is stacked full of absolute killers,” Page said. “So, I just want to challenge myself at the very top, which is why I started with the likes of Kevin Holland. I want to be at the top. I want to be in the deep end. I want to fight absolutely everybody, so there’s great fights to be made everywhere across the board.”

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