Michael “Venom” Page says he feels “free of shackles” after UFC exit and Misfits Boxing deal

Michael “Venom” Page has officially turned the page on his UFC run, and he is already looking forward to a new combat-sport chapter. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the welterweight standout said he feels “free of the shackles” after signing to box with Misfits Boxing, a little over a month after his departure from the UFC was confirmed.

Page’s UFC tenure ended without the headline-making finish that defined his brand in other settings. The report characterizes his stint as “solid,” but also notes he did not deliver any trademark knockout performances in the promotion. In the same breath, it underscores the UFC record that shaped his exit narrative: a 5-1 run in the Octagon.

For fans who have followed Page for years, the statement is less about escaping a specific opponent and more about resetting a role. The move from MMA to boxing changes the rhythm of everything that built his identity: how he uses distance, how he commits to entries, and how he translates striking accuracy into decisions or stoppages under different scoring criteria. Misfits Boxing, by design, offers a platform where the emphasis can lean harder toward pure striking and showmanship than the blended skill set the UFC demands.

The timing matters in how Page is positioning his next career phase. A month after the UFC exit was confirmed, the boxing deal indicates that he is trying to maintain momentum rather than wait through a long transition. The report’s framing suggests Page views the change as liberation, not only from contractual constraints but from the tactical constraints of MMA itself.

Still, the UFC-to-boxing switch is rarely straightforward, and Page’s record in one format will not automatically translate to the other. Boxing carries different fundamentals, including stance discipline, shot selection without wrestling threats, and the physical toll of a more linear, punch-first game. For Page, the early question is whether the same creativity that made him a must-watch in MMA can find a consistent landing rate in bouts where defense and timing are rewarded in distinct ways.

The Misfits Boxing partnership also raises a broader competitive question for the promotion and its audience: how quickly will Page settle into the expectations of boxing, especially the patience required to manufacture openings without grappling as a pressure valve? If Page’s claim of being “free of the shackles” reflects a genuine comfort with the sport’s constraints, the most telling next step will be how he looks against established boxing-level opposition once he begins competing under the new ruleset.

For now, Page’s UFC exit and boxing signing are the central storylines. But the longer arc will be built by what he produces once the matchup and the training camp are real, not just the transition. If he can translate his striking style into sustained boxing success, the switch could become a defining reinvention. If not, it will still matter as an honest, high-visibility pivot from one elite stage to another.

At the moment, the available reporting emphasizes Page’s personal tone and the transaction itself, not the full competitive map of his first boxing assignment. The next watch item is therefore straightforward: the opponent, the event date, and how Page’s approach evolves once the first bell in boxing replaces the first takedown threat in MMA.