Subliminal diss?
No. 13-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Michael Page picked up a forgettable decision win over surging prospect Sam Patterson in the ‘Featured bout’ of UFC London this past weekend (Sat., March 21, 2026) inside the O2 Arena in London, England.
Both fighters were hesitant to engage, likely due to their history as former training partners, and the result was one of the least active and worst fights in recent memory. Just 39 significant
strikes were landed across three rounds.
But the most talked-about moment came before the fight even started.
Page walked out to Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us, immediately sparking speculation online about what message he was trying to send.
Fighter pay? Card placement? Something deeper?
According to “MVP,” it was a bit of everything.
“There was a multitude of things, and I’ve spoken about being frustrated with the UFC’s decisions,” Page said in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani. “The main one for me was the fact that they put a young kid [Luke Riley], who’s super talented but has only had one fight in the UFC, as a co-main event. I felt disrespected.”
Page made it clear he believes his body of work deserved a bigger spot — especially fighting in front of a home crowd.
“The effort in what I’ve delivered for the fans, in this arena and around the world — even without finishes, I’ve delivered entertaining fights and given people something to talk about,” Page said. “To be like, ‘Nah, he’s not co-main, not main event — and in his own backyard?’ I think most people were there to see me. That annoyed me. I felt like it was relevant.”
Still, the walkout wasn’t just about UFC politics.
Page said the song choice also reflected a broader message.
“Genuinely, it’s everything that’s going on in the world,” Page explained. “It doesn’t matter what side you’re on — too many kids, women, men are dying for nonsense… political battles, financial battles, power struggles. It’s a classic song that’s still relevant today — maybe even more now. It was just a statement that we’re heading in the wrong direction.”
Page concluded that he just wanted to send a message.
Time will tell if his message was received or not because the longtime kickboxer has one fight left on his UFC contract — and it will be very telling on who he fights next.
Will the promotion match him with a fellow striker for fireworks — or a grappler looking to grind him out and hand him his walking papers?
Stay tuned.
For complete UFC London results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
