Months after questions emerged about whether the UFC’s Michael “Venom” Page experiment was working, the answer arrived in stunning fashion. Page leaves the promotion with a 5-1 record and four consecutive victories, but says he learned about his departure the same way everyone else did: on the internet. Now the 39-year-old says he feels “free,” claims offers are pouring in from virtually everywhere and believes the version of MVP that made him famous may finally be coming back.

Michael “Venom” Page was supposed to be one of the easiest fighters in mixed martial arts to understand. He was flashy, unpredictable, theatrical and capable of producing the kind of violent highlight that could live on social media for years. When the UFC finally signed him after his long Bellator run, the appeal seemed obvious. Put one of the sport’s most unconventional strikers on its biggest stage, give him elite opposition and see whether the spectacle translated.

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