Jared Cannonier was not too happy when he was offered to fight Michael's 'Venom' page.
At the age of 41, the former UFC title is still chasing the title of the middleweight. Cannonier earned a title fight with the then champion Israel Adesanya in 2022, where he lost through a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 276.
Cannonier has since gone 3-2, and now it has been #7 UFC Middleweight to include another top striker in the non-anchored Michael 'Venom' page on UFC 319 on August 16 in Chicago.
After the announcement of the fight, UFC veteran Joe Riggs claimed that Cannonier 'was not too enthusiastic' with the 'MVP' fight, and Tim Welch told him that he heard something about Dana White put Cannonier on the 'chopping block'.
Cannonier has responded to the rumors that suggest that he had not received much of a choice against Page.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Jared Cannonier pronounces frustration with the Page Fight offer from Michael 'Venom'
This week Cannonier was asked if there was any truth in the rumors and what issues he had with the page matchup.
“The problems I have with the fight is that he is not really a middleweight,” Cannonier told Submission Radio.
“I am focused on coming back to the title. I understand that it is a big fight. It is on a large card. So there is some weight there.
“But that is the rumor that you have heard,” said Cannonier that Riggs will broadcast rumor that he might have been cut if he did not accept the page test.
'I'm going to leave it at that, a rumor that you have all heard …
“No,” Cannonier said when the page -matchup 'has grown on him'.
“It's as usual. It's all about the next fight, to be honest. It's not that, he can't be, but I don't know. I can't really reason behind the matchmaking …”
Michael 'Venom' Page gets top fights in the middleweight after lonely victory
Michael 'Venom' Page was an old Bellator Welterweight, who came to the UFC in 2024.
Page came to the UFC Welterweight Rankings when he defeated Kevin Holland in his debut at UFC 299, but lost his next fight against Ian Machado Garry on UFC 303.
Page made its middleweight debut at UFC Riyadh earlier this year, giving Shara 'Bullet' his first pro loss through decision.
Not currently, it is a bit of a surprise page that a top candidate like Cannonier gets after one medium -weight victory. 'MVP' is considered one of the best strikers that the Octagon encounters, which should ensure a great fight with Cannonier.