According to UFC welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page, any decision regarding his retirement will come in the gym, not the Octagon.
While no doubt at the back end of his career, Page has only just begun plying his fighting trade on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, having swapped Bellator MMA for the UFC late last year after over a decade with the former.
In his debut at UFC 299 this past March, Page dealt a blow to those who have long questioned his ability to compete against ranked opposition in the UFC by getting the better of Kevin Holland.
Most recently, “MVP” had his quest for an all-English showdown with champion Leon Edwards paused by Ian Garry, who narrowly emerged victorious from their pay-per-view main card opener at UFC 303.
But given his pre-fight camp and performance on the night, it can be said that Page has plenty left in the tank months on from his 37th birthday.
Page Reveals What Will Force Retirement Call
During an interview with Demetrious Johnson prior to his second Octagon appearance at UFC 303, Page addressed the topic of Father Time that looms over fighters of his age.
The MMA community often urges some athletes who appear to continue beyond their physical means to hang up their gloves amid lengthy losing streaks, with Tony Ferguson serving as a current example.
The 37-year-old Page, however, insists he won’t reach that stage. Instead, he plans to call it quits as soon as his performance against the up-and-comers in his gym falls below the requirement.
“It gets us all, man. There’s one thing nobody can beat and it’s that time factor. But you can make adjustments,” Page said. “It’s intense in our gym all the time. But there are times I can tell where he’ll (my coach) just be — for me, he’ll be like, ‘You can chill today. You can finish a bit early.’ … He can see when I’m fatiguing a little bit too much.
“I always say to myself, if I’m getting dominated by the youngsters coming through and they’re all hungry — if I’m starting to get dominated by them in the gym, that’s my time to retire,” Page continued. “I don’t need to wait to get my arse handed to me out in public. If the guys in the gym are having me out, then that’s when I’ll be like, ‘Okay, I need to stop.’ That ain’t happening just yet.”
In addition to a strong camp, which showed no signs that his time competing at the top is up, Page’s defeat on June 29 was far from emphatic. UFC CEO Dana White demonstrated the competitive nature of the Londoner’s battle with Garry by suggesting the fight felt like a draw.
It remains to be seen what will come next for “MVP” after a setback in his planned ascent to gold on MMA’s biggest stage. But having come close to climbing toward title contention at UFC 303, Page has vowed to “rebuild” and keep his sights set on the goal.
