Page said his three-fight deal with MF Sports’ Misfits will pay him more than he earned across his six bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Englishman claims he will earn seven figures per fight after the UFC opted against renewing his contract despite his 5-1 promotional record.
Josh Barnett questions Michael 'Venom' Page's seven-figure Misfits contract claim, cites past MMA promotion failures
Barnett responded on social media, questioning the accuracy of Page’s claims. The former UFC heavyweight champion warned that such spending could exhaust Misfits’ capital and jeopardize its future.
“Either Page is telling a very bold lie for publicity sake...” Barnett wrote on X. “Or [Misfits] has decided to run the same old formula of: jumping into the MMA market, overspending like mad, burning through all their capital in record speed, and soon to be another gravestone in the marketplace due to either incompetence or intent to raise and burn capital on the way to fire-sailing what remains (that'd be the IP, library, all those fighter's contracts) in what amounts to cash grab scam with the skinsuit of making a top tier MMA company/UFC competitor.”
Barnett cited EliteXC, Affliction, International Fight League and World Series of Fighting as cautionary examples. He warned that fighters could suffer if another promotion exhausted its capital.
“Oh, and it's the FIGHTERS in the end who truly get screwed over...again,” Barnett added.
"7-figures + per fight" Either Page is telling a very bold lie for publicity sake... Or MVP (the org) has decided to run the same old formula of: jumping into the MMA market, overspending like mad, burning through all their capital in record speed, and soon to be another gravestone in the marketplace due to either incompetence or intent to raise and burn capital on the way to fire-saling what remains (that'd be the IP, library, all those fighter's contracts)in what amounts to cash grab scam with the skinsuit of making a top tier MMA company/UFC competitor. See: EliteXC, Affliction, IFL, G|FL, WSOF, etc. Oh, and it's the FIGHTERS in the end who truly get screwed over...again.— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) October 13, 2026
*Misfits not MVP— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) October 13, 2026