Dave Feldman wanted Michael ‘Venom’ Page back in bare knuckle. He didn’t get him, and he’s taking it better than most promoters would.
Page, 39, has signed with Misfits Boxing, the KSI-fronted outfit, and announced the move during a promo alongside KSI on Saturday night. Bloody Elbow described the promo as cringe-inducing, which is fair, and Yahoo Sports reported the deal as a million-dollar one.
Feldman made his pitch early. The BKFC president said he was interested in re-signing Page right after reports of Page’s UFC release surfaced in September. The hope inside BKFC was a mega-fight with Darren Till. Instead, Page shopped himself around in free agency and took the bag.
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Talking to Bloody Elbow’s Jamie Theodosi, the 56-year-old Feldman pinned the decision squarely on money and said he had no problem with it.
“I mean, he was looking for the best money, and apparently, they offered him really, really good money,” Feldman said. “Good for him.”
He went further, crediting Page for what he did in the UFC and Bellator and saying fighters who put in that kind of work deserve to get paid. Feldman offered “hats off to Misfits and hats off to ‘MVP’ for getting that money,” and added a little jab that doubled as a compliment, guessing Misfits probably lined up “fun, exciting opponents that he’s not going to get hit with the bare knuckle for.”
He closed warm. “He’s always been really good to us, and I hope he does good.”
Page explains the money
Page didn’t dress it up either. In a separate interview, he said Misfits “came with a crazy deal, an absolutely crazy deal,” and then gave the numbers in plain English.
“I left the UFC, and I’m making more money. Like two times more, and in a short period,” he said. “It’s a three-fight deal, and in this three-fight deal, I’ll make more than I made for my whole UFC contract.”
Three fights to out-earn an entire UFC run. That’s a sentence the UFC’s accounting department won’t love seeing in print.
Page also pointed to relationships. He called KSI his boy and said his teammates and coaches have worked with Misfits before, in fights and in corners. And he says the plan goes beyond boxing: Misfits wants to launch an MMA show, and Page said he’s meant to lead the way and be the face of it.
The BKFC history
Page has one BKFC appearance on his ledger, a debated decision loss to Mike Perry four years ago. That was the result that kept a rematch-or-bigger-fight conversation alive, and why Feldman kept circling back.
Without Page, Till’s BKFC plans point elsewhere. Bloody Elbow separately reported a 14-day deadline for BKFC to clear an issue holding up a Till vs. Tommy Fury grudge match.
My take: Page did exactly what a 39-year-old striker with a famous name should do, which is get paid the most for getting hit the least. Feldman knows it, which is why he didn’t bother pretending otherwise. Credit to a promoter who answered the question straight. Now Misfits has to prove it can build an MMA show around a guy whose best selling point has always been that nobody wants to stand in front of him.
